PRESS RELEASE !!!!!! Unity Party Youth Congress official response to Ali Sylla’s withdrawal from the Montserrado County Special Senatorial race November 10, 2014 Our dear fellow partisans Members of the media Ladies and gentlemen We have gathered here today to express the National Youth congress’ official reaction to the surprise and unilateral pull-out of the Montserrado County’s senatorial race by Mr. Ali Sylla, Unity Party’s approved candidate for the pending special senatorial election scheduled to take place anytime soon across the Country. As you may be aware, the Unity Party, consistent with its policy, requested partisans across the political landscape of the country to forward to its National Headquarters through sub-county branches Expression of Interest (EOI) for vacancies which were required filling through the caucus system by qualified party candidates. The National Youth Congress, in concert with County Youth Congresses encouraged a number of its youthful Party leaders to file in their EOI’s for the purpose of contesting some slots on the Party’s ticket in the ensuing special senatorial election. All, but Nimba and Montserrado witnessed the declaration of intentions by few potential youthful Partisans. In Nimba, Mr. Teeko T. Yorlay, former Assistant Superintendent for Development of Nimba County, declared his ambition, processed all the necessary documents consistent with requirements set out in the expression of interest released by the Party. As a loyal and committed partisan, Mr. Yorlay was requested to relegate his ambition based on a unanimous decision by the Party’s National Executive Committee to collaborate with Senator Prince Y. Johnson and he answered in the affirmative to the party’s decision without any precondition. This was a symptomatic manifestation of true partisanship; commitment to party’s principles and proof of being a discipline partisan. We salute Brother Yorlay for this. In Montserrado County, two youthful partisans, (one loyal and one disloyal) similarly participated in a Caucus of three candidates. Before the Caucus, several strategic sessions were held for the purpose of building consensus around one youthful candidate whose selection would send two (2) fundamental messages to the masses of the people: (1) that given his religious background, the Party would be seen as an institution which cuts across all divides (2) that consistent with its policy of promoting young people in the governance space of Liberia, the Party remains fully dedicated to said commitment. Immediately following the Caucus, the other candidate, who is also the Secretary General of Montserrado County Youth Congress, was mandated by the body to lend support to the Montserrado County’s approved candidate. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, our effort to place Sylla, the sellout; Sylla, the betrayal; Sylla, the coward; Sylla the ingrate on the ticket of the Party has no precarious motive, but one with the desire to harness his potential and elevate his political stature in a country with immense political possibilities. We cannot justify our decision to place Ali Sylla, a relatively unknown partisan, on the Party’s ticket beyond reason- our motive was cleared, our agenda was defined, our plan well thought-out, but never did we know that Sylla’s agenda was embellished in greed, self-interest, quick happiness and personal gratification. You can’t imagine how utterly dim his justification for withdrawal is; how can a sick man post more than ten(10) times on facebook with images portraying activities of different nature? While we remain swept by the unpleasant wave of surprise and very disappointed in his sheered ingratitude shown to the Party, we are not however deterred. We will not be passive in these elections, the Youth Congress, in alliance with key organs of the Party, will build consensus around a candidate whose vision is very particularly similar to the Unity Party’s. Ladies and gentlemen, Ali Sylla is not sick as being shamelessly said. Sylla is a shameless liar, conscienceless young man, a proof of the fact that political hustlers are stay being born, a political businessman, and a political Johnnie-don’t-care who was very cheaply purchased out of the race with a pocketful of dollars. Sylla’s attitude confirms the saying by Paulo Freire in his book “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” that there are some people with the “unrestrained eagerness to possess” in “their strictly materialistic concept of existence” which drives them sadly to the unfortunate conclusion that “Money is the measure of all things, and profit the primary goal”. While Sylla’s dollars might have fattened his pockets and hastened his journey out of Liberia, what remains a fact to the UP Youth Congress is that we have completely dissipated confidence in him and a dwindled trust in this Sylla who feels that chicanery should characterize his youthful political life that is sadly punctuated with huge businessman appetite of fattening pockets and or wallets without considering the consequences for the future. What we can say to Sylla is that the dollars might not be leaving any space in your pocket now for hand to enter, but what is sure is that your political life is shattered and battered. We have long way to go! Ali Sylla was not abandoned A number of individuals, including few from Sylla’s ASPAC, have inherently contradicted their reason for withdrawal- some hint that Sylla was abandoned by the Party while Sylla himself blamed “poor health” for his withdrawal. In a post on facebook, one of Sylla’s supporters claimed that the Party did not support Sylla through the payment of his registration fees and, at the same time some members of the party declared support for other candidates in the race. As young people, we are constrained to provide clarity. The payment of registration fees is a key requirement by the National Elections Commission for individual Party candidate whilst the Party’s responsibility is to keep a bank balance to serve as a guarantor for all candidates approved to contest on the Party’s ticket. The Party met her Part of the bargain- is Sylla’s man suggesting that the Party should have paid for Sylla alone? Is that what Sylla’s ASPAC call abandonment? In fact, every candidate, consistent with the UP’s policy, was requested to develop a campaign strategy that is unique to their County circumstances, the rest of the candidates have so far made significant efforts, but Sylla did not due to his utterly outrageous motive. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, we could go on and on, providing sufficient reasons for the readiness of UP to promote a youthful candidate without any hate consistent with the institution’s desire. But we say good bye to Sylla for the betrayal. We hope his attitude serves as a lesson.. As a Party, we will continue to cut across all divides, your agenda is now achieved, but we are still here and even strengthened! Long live the Youth Congress and long live the Unity Party! Signed: _________________________ Amos B. Tweh NATIONAL CHAIRMAN
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 17:12:40 +0000
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