MONROVIA, Montserrado – The newly inducted Montserrado senator, Darius Dillon, has urged the All Liberian Party candidate in the 15^th district by-election, Telia Urey, against honoring President George Weah’s invitation for dialogue after she was violently attacked.

Urey, who is the current leader in the disputed by-election, had posted video footage showing a violent attack on her and her supporters.

Urey and her supporters had been meeting with supporters of Kelvin Bayoh, another candidate in the election, who had declared his support to her ahead of the re-run of voting for 20 polling centers in the district, when supporters of the Coalition for Democratic Change candidate, Abu Kamara, allegedly attacked and set her vehicle ablaze and injured more than 15 of her supporters.

Senator Dillon wants the ALP candidate who was also supported by the other three members of the opposition collaboration political parties – Unity Party, the Alternative National Congress, and Liberty Party – to honor the president’s invitation to dialogue with the CDC candidate only when he retracts his previous comments about her.

During the launch of the CDC campaign rally for the recent Montserrado joint-legislative election, Weah had vowed that “a Urey cannot win election” while he is president of Liberia.

“As for me, I finish forgiving George Weah. Thank God he is not God to determine what happens to me or anybody. The president needs to grow. He is a big kid,” Dillon said during a press conference at his Capitol Building office on Monday.

“I will think that Telia Urey should not attend that dialogue except President George Weah retracts openly, that childish, reckless, and unthoughtful statement he made against Telia that as long as he’s president and his name is George Weah, she will never be elected in this country.”

According to Dillon, the president put the life of the opposition candidate in harm through his comment. He said Urey’s safety and happiness are in danger with Weah’s supporters, who are loyal to his command.

“We will use our little influence to ensure that Telia Urey does not sit with President Weah. He must apologize,” the senator added.

Dillon condemned the recent incidents of violence across the country, especially in Montserrado’s 15^th district, terming it as ‘unacceptable.’

“We condemn the violence and call on the president, George Weah, to begin to exercise leadership over the country,” he said.

“The only person we can hold for all these violence in Montserrado and across the country is President George Weah. The people will act. The people want result and people want to know who’s responsible.”

Dillon termed the president as divisive and bitter, noting that he needs to be president for all Liberians, and not just for members of his party. Dillon promised to cooperate with Weah only if his decisions are in the interest of citizens.

The Montserrado senator has, meanwhile, written the Senate to invite Justice Minister Musa Dean, Police Inspector General Patrick Sudue, and heads of other relevant security institutions to give reasons for the growing wave of violence.

Featured photo by Ida Reeves