FEBRUARY 12, 2023
The Chairlady, Officers and Members of the Forceful Women for Weah 2023;
The Officers and Members of the 4-B Movement for Weah 2023;
Our Special and Highly Talented and Entertaining Guest Artist, the Great BIGUINI;
Fellow Partisans;
CDCians;
WEAHsians;
Traditional Leaders here present;
Members of the Fourth Estate;
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am delighted to be here with you this evening, and I am both humbled, and honored, by the kind sentiments of solidarity you have expressed here today in support of my re-election to a second six-year term as President of Liberia.
Before going any further in these remarks, I would like to make it clear that my presence here to receive your endorsement of my intention to run again for the Presidency, is not part of campaigning for elections. This declaration of my intent is only to signal to the partisans of the mighty Coalition for Democratic Change my desire to be re-elected as their Standard Bearer at the forthcoming Convention of the Party. Whenever this is done, we wish to assure all stakeholders that we will be in strict compliance with the regulations governing campaign activities, as issued by the National Elections Commission.
Having said that, I am particularly grateful to receive this endorsement from the Forceful Women organization, its members, supporters, partners, and friends, in collaboration with the 4-B Movement. I am also delighted to see the enthusiasm of the Liberian fan club of Biguini, the great Mande artiste from Mali, who has performed so beautifully for our entertainment tonight.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
I have always had a close affinity with the Muslim faith, since my days when I attended the Muslim Congress High School in Monrovia. However, I am aware that there is growing misinformation and false perceptions being spread by political miscreants in the corridor of our national politics, and in society in general, that the Mandingo Community is apprehensive about my leadership, my Government, and the CDC itself.
I want to inform you that nothing could be further from the truth, as you yourselves can see from this gathering of people of influence from this Community. These people would not gather here to endorse my candidacy for re-election for a second Presidential term, if they felt this way.
Quite to the contrary, I have worked diligently and consistently to foster religious inclusion and tolerance since the beginning of my incumbency in 2018. This is because of my strong conviction that this is a necessary ingredient for a peaceful and cohesive society. I believe that freedom of religion, as enshrined in our Constitution, is an inalienable human right. Not only do I believe in freedom of worship…I practice it, because I am as comfortable worshiping in a mosque as I am worshiping in a church or synagogue.
We will continue to engage all persons of every religious belief and ethnic background, because religion and ethnicity are not prerequisites or pre-qualifications for political affiliation in Liberia.
Although I am fully aware that tonight’s endorsement is not coming from the entire Mandingo Community, or from all women in that Community, I am nevertheless extremely pleased to receive it from this particular group of women, many of whom I am told are very strong business people.
As Liberia’s Feminist-in-Chief, I am always delighted to learn of the good fortunes of empowered and successful women in community leadership. I look forward to meeting many other Groups in your Community.
Once again, let me thank you for your kind and spontaneous endorsement of my plans to seek re-election to a second term as President of the Republic of Liberia. If I am successful, I promise to continue to deliver transformational developments across the country, that will have direct and positive impacts on the social and economic upliftment of all Liberians.
I thank you.
