Bomi County Senator, Edwin Melvin Snowe, has provided his perspectives on the political happenings in Liberia and the region while urging President George Weah to allow Costa to return to his motherland despite his stance against the CDC-led government.
Appearing on the Spoon Talk-show on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, Senator Snowe accentuated on lots of issues including the legal rigmarole between this governments, Talk-show host, Henry Pedro Costa, his political direction ahead of 2023 Presidential Elections, perspective on Alexander B. Cummings in politics, among others.
“Every time you try to restrain some rights they will have people supporting them. Maybe they have more information than me and that is why they are acting the way they are. Allow Costa To Come Home. Sometimes we talk politics but we don’t do politics. In any democracy there is always power play; everyone wants to out-shine their friends especially with elections in sight. Let’s have a national conversation,” he said.
According to him, the Liberian law needs to be reviewed and until that, he averred; “We are going nowhere. Until we can be fair and look at our laws; you can bring ten persons after George Weah, Liberia will still be the same. Laws are not everlasting, they should be flexible and represent the realities of change in times,” he stated.
Adding, “Until we change our laws, look at the hard truth and adjust some of our laws. Handle the Costa issue differently. Why make Costa a hero?” Snowe urges Weah-led government.
He said Liberia is the only country that says, “If you are not a black man you cannot own land. We need to have a national retreat where the Legislative and Executive branch can sit and talk the hard truth. It will not be about politics. You cannot take a million dollar and invest it in a country where after every year you work and resident permit is subject to approval by a single individual. Investors from serious countries, you have to look at our laws”.
Commenting on his Islamic holidays, Senator Snowe wondered how we can have interreligious council and you talk about holiday and one group gets vex. President Weah has nothing to do with this. The Senate can decide to vote against or in favor of it but it is my legislative responsibility to propose and lobby for Islamic holidays,” he intimated.
Also speaking on the War and Economic Crimes Court establishment debate in Liberia, Snowe indicated that there are too many false accounts of the roles people played in the war so “I fully support the War Crimes Court. People must vindicate themselves because the perceptions are also very high.”
According to him, accusing someone does not make that person guilty or not. “Nobody should run from this debate. It needs to be discussed, let nobody gets agitated. If you are innocent, face the reality. And if you will bring the issue of a War Crimes Court on the floor and those concerns are established, I will vote for the establishment of a War Crimes Court.”
“We need America more and they have had direct link with the restructuring of our security sector. Giving his take on former Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai bid to contest for the ensuing presidential election on the Unity Party ticket, Snowe indicated; “I was a member of the UP and ran on its ticket in 2017 and still enjoy a good relationship with Sirleaf though we had tough times during her tenure. I supported Boakai in the 2017 presidential election, but I am no longer a member of the UP; I don’t intend to be a member anytime soon and do not have any compelling reasons to go back there therefore Boakai is no longer my standard bearer or partisan.”
Also commenting on the Alternative National Congress (ANC) Political leader, Alexander Cummings’ chances, Snowe said, “Mr. Cummings is a nice man; he has love and passion for Liberia, but he still needs to see how to connect himself with the political class of Liberia”.
“His track records are good but I have not been inclined to gravitate to his political ideology; I have not reached that decision,” he said.
Commenting on President George Weah’s leadership, Snowe reiterated that Weah went to Bomi and made a lot of commitments in Bomi County where he said he made lots of promises, noting that, “if he, Weah, can deliver and change the lives of the Liberian people by making some genuine moves, create jobs, depoliticize the government, I could not only support him, I could lead the process for his reelection. Time is clocking out, but he still has time. I have a good relationship with this government. As I am already contemplating in going that direction, I will not just sit; I will engage them. Trust me once we begin to see the lives of our people changed, then we can consider. I will not sit, if I decide to support I will give my money and my all. George Weah is the President of Liberia; you may not like him,” Snowe reiterated his incessant love for Weah.