“We Will Not Vote for the CDC Government in the 2023 elections if…” __ Kokoyah District Residents Vow
By: Matalay S. Kollie, Bong County Correspondent
Kokoyah District, Bong County: As the political process for 2023 general and Presidential elections heats up, residents of Kokoyah District in Bong County have threatened to vigorously Campaign and boot out the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)in the 2023 general elections. The CDC pays host to one of the Daughters of Bong County as its Vice President, Jewel Howard-Taylor.
The Kokoyah residents expressing their concerns through one of their sons, Joseph Weleteh Flomo, said if Pres. Weah’s government refuses to offer a cabinet position to former Bong County Senator, Henry Willie Yallah, they will lead a major campaign against the ruling government in the upcoming 2023 general and presidential elections. He served as the former Statutory Superintendent of the District.
According to them, former senator Yallah served the party during the 2020 special Senatorial elections in Liberia and attracted many voters’ attention to the Coalition for Democratic Change.
During the 2008 Census, Bong County had a population of 328,919, making it the third most populated county in Liberia. The county proved crucial to President Weah’s ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) in the 2017 presidential elections, winning the county in both the first and second rounds.
Mr. Weleteh said the most frustrating thing is that former Senator Henry Yallah who contested on the CDC ticket during the 2020 special Senatorial election and lost to his opponent is yet to be appointed to any position by the government in the County.
The citizens through Mr. Flomo said they will not support President George Weah’s re-election bid if he fails to appoint a native of Bong County; especially Yallah as a cabinet minister ahead of the 2023 general and presidential elections.
The Bong County citizens who hugely supported the CDC in the 2017 elections believe it is “Totally wrong” for a county with a huge population to be ignored by the Weah government.
The Kokoyah Statutory District former Superintendent alleged that the Weah-led government is being dominated by people from the South-east, a geographically irrelevant region of the Country’s population.
“The last native of Bong to have served in President Weah’s government was former Agriculture Minister Dr. Mogana Flomo, who was appointed in 2018 and got dismissed in 2019,” former Superintendent Joseph Weleteh noted.
“We will campaign against Weah and Taylor because they have ill-treated us as citizens and County who supported their election as President and Vice President of Liberia, but they have paid us with bad treatment,” Weleteh added. The former Kokoyah Statutory District Superintendent further described the alleged act of the CDC-led government as a mockery to the citizens of Bong County.
Like Kokoyah citizens, many Bongese especially prominent sons and daughters of the County have shared similar views about the “marginalization ” of the county in the current government despite having a vice president and a native of Bong County in Jewel Howard -Taylor.
The Kokoyah Statutory District former Superintendent made the statement in an interview with WOMEN’S TV recently via mobile phone from the District following a mass meeting with residents on their plan action ahead of the 2023 elections.
