On Monday, the Supreme Court granted a writ of prohibition to Liberty Party that stopped the National Elections Commission from proceeding with the runoff election until the party’s claims of irregularities and fraud were reviewed. Later that day, Charles Brumskine, the party’s standard bearer, addressed supporters in the following speech.

“As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be most aware of change in the air—however slight—lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness.”

– United States Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, Letter to the Young Lawyers of the Washington State Bar Association.

This morning, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Liberia delivered its opinion, granting the petition of the Liberty Party, prohibiting the National Elections Commission from proceeding with the November 7, 2017, runoff election until our case, which alleges “violation of the constitution and elections law, fraudulent acts and gross irregularities during the elections,” is concluded. We are grateful to God and humbled by the decision of our constitutional court.

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge, with thanks, the collaborating effort of other political parties in this clash for the heart and soul of our country—All Liberia Party (ALP), Alternative National Congress (ANC), and the Unity Party (UP). Liberty Party is honored to be a partner with these political parties in this political and legal endeavor to save our country.

And to all others who love our country, and who are with us in this existential confrontation for a peaceful, stable, prosperous, and fair Liberia, I caution you that today’s opinion of the Supreme Court is not the end, it is only the beginning. Evil, which has taken us down this road in the first place, is going to strike back with venom. So, all who can pray, join us in praying to God; all who can sing, sing unto the Lord; even if you, like me, cannot sing, make a joyful noise unto the Lord with prayer and supplication. And good will prevail over evil!

All must, however, be aware of the wolves in sheep clothing; they come even in the name of the Lord. They crucify us for doing what is right, and glorify those who would destroy our country; they argue that pursuing a patriotic course in accordance with the law and the word of God is bad for our country; they know that the elections were fraudulent, that the constitutional rights of hundreds of thousands of Liberians were violated; that the level of irregularities would place the October 10 elections in the Guinness Book of Record; but still they advocate that we do nothing about it, risking the demise of any hope of developing liberal democracy in our country, dooming Liberians, even those that are yet unborn, to a state of helplessness.

But I am grateful to God, and thankful to all Liberians, who now understand that each of us has a duty to do whatever little we can to change our country for the better. I consider myself blessed to be a part of this collective effort to stop and undo the grievous offense that has been meted out against the Liberian people.

My fellow Liberians, the course we pursue is not about Charles Walker Brumskine, it is not about Liberty Party; it is greater than all of us; it is about our country, which includes every Liberian, even those who are now opposing our every move.

I believe that there are not many Liberians who do not want to change our country for the better. But understandably, most Liberians are apprehensive, because change in our country has become synonymous to suffering, destruction, and death, leaving the average Liberian worse off than he or she was before the purported change started.

But my commitment to the people of Liberia—that there will be no violence as we strive to change our country for the better—remains unshaken.

Our effort is about the hundreds of thousands of Liberians, who were denied the right to vote; it is about the unknown number of persons who voted more than once, because they had voter registration cards issued by Amose Siebo and others who were given voter registration cards producing materials by the NEC; it is about that lady who had to pay US$150 to a NEC official in order to have her name written in a notebook, as a precondition to voting; it is about our parents, brothers and sisters, friends and supporters, and every Liberian who stood on lines for hours to vote for a particular candidate, only to realize thereafter that their votes were not included in the count; but it is also about those employees of the NEC who have been made to believe that to secure their jobs they had to be a part of the conspiracy to defraud the people of Liberia; and, it is about all Liberians who have been told that the only way to succeed in our country is to break the law or commit offenses against humanity.

Borrowing from the works of Joshua Dubois, “We will not be victims. Nor will we be oppressors. No—today, we will keep watch.”

Thank you, and God bless!

Featured photo by Lloyd Massah