By Bill W. Cooper
Vice President Jeremiah Koung has issued a stern warning to Liberians, urging them to refrain from engaging in any acts that could undermine the peace and democracy of the country.
VP Koung, on behalf of President Joseph Boakai also emphasized the importance of unity and urged citizens to work together for the betterment of Liberia despite each and every Liberians political or religious affiliation.
He spoke yesterday, at program marking the 64th National Unification and Integration Day anniversary under the theme: “Healing the past, Uniting the Present and Embracing the future through Arts and Culture.”
In his address on Unification Day, Koung asserted, “While we have received many commendations from friendly nations across the world on the improvement of our democratic credentials, we must exercise caution on destructive criticisms and refrain from acts which undermine our peace and democracy.”
“I am aware that our political landscape is divided on strong social-economic and political lines; however, we must remain vigilant to ensure that our political disagreements do not divide us but that we create an environment conducive for the exchange of opposing ideas to improve our system of governance, which will in turn uplift the lives of our people,” he maintained.
According to him, there is no Green or Blue Liberia; it is the Republic of Liberia consisting of people with different political persuasions, stressing, “To you, citizens and members of the opposition, we thank you for continuously keeping Our Government’s feet to the fire.”
He intoned, “It is your criticisms and suggestions which keeps us focused and determined to deliver on our promises to the Liberian people. We applaud your ideas and recommendations, because the inclusion and consideration of the views of those who may oppose us play a pivotal role in fostering national unity.”
“The opportunity for all to be heard, in contrast to being silenced because of a disagreement of views, is the foundation of a united and fully integrated Liberia. A Liberia that we must aspire to cultivate and work diligently to bequeath to our future generations.
And to you, members of the ruling Government, I encourage you to remain tolerant, accepting that criticisms are crucial ingredients of a functioning democracy. We must embrace the critical views of others in good faith and make the appropriate adjustments to our strategies for addressing the socio-economic needs of our people,” the VP admonished.
He added, “To you, our international partners and friends, we are grateful for your unwavering support for our democratic process, which secures our peace and consequently promotes national unity. Your support to our development agenda sends a clear signal that Liberia continues to get the necessary attention and support, as we seek to build a better Liberia.”
“The time is now! this generation must continue to exert all efforts to unite our people; we MUST sacrifice our individual interests for National interests, only then will the Unity and Integration we seek for Liberia be Possible!” VP Koung cautioned.
Koung at the same time highlighted, “Let it be known that the bonds which tie us together as a people are much stronger than the elements which intend to divide us. Although our history informs us about the long-standing divides between “Americo-Liberians” and “Indigenous Liberians”, which contributed to a 14 year civil war.”
“Our generation has a responsibility to change these negative narratives. Today, Liberia enjoys a representative democracy, in which the voices of all Liberians are heard through the ballot process.
It is with a sense of pride that I can today report that Liberians live in a society where the exclusions and deprivation of basic individuals’ rights suffered by people based on their ethnicity are a thing of the past,” he noted.
Koung asserted, “There are no “Americo-Liberians” or “Indigenous Liberians”; we are one people with one common patrimony, striving to achieve a shared destiny, a better Liberia for our children to inherit.”
