MONROVIA, Montserrado – President-elect George Weah has declared that transforming the lives of Liberians will be the singular mission and focus of his government.
In his acceptance speech delivered Saturday at the headquarters of the Coalition for Democratic Change, Weah said his team would form a government that is committed to fighting for the ideas that inspired his campaign and that he is dedicated to delivering to the Liberians.
According to him, people who would be chosen to serve in his administration must be dedicated to the ideas of grassroots social transformation, as those who intend to cheat the Liberians through the menace of corruption would have no place in the government. In his speech, Weah also encouraged diaspora citizens to come home.
“We need your skills, your ideas, your expertise, your talents so that together we will build our common patrimony,†he said.
He praised development partners for their support to the country over the last 12 years, calling on them to renew and strengthen their partnerships.
According to him, aid to the country has declined in recent years, something he noted was not good for the current transition.
“At least in the short term while we work to grow the Liberian economy and expand our revenue base, medium term aid will be needed to support projects that will be critical to our long-term goals,†he said.
He described investment as the administration’s long-term strategy for delivering transformation, thus declaring to investors that the country was open and ready for business.
Weah promised that his government would work to relax constraints to private investment; strengthen the business legal and regulatory environment and protect business profits.
He acknowledged a concession call from the vice president and Unity Party candidate, Joseph Boakai, and promised that they both would work together in the interest of the Liberian people.
“He is a statesman and also my neighbor. If I have to walk over to greet and get advice from him, I will. That is what neighbors are for,†he noted.
He welcomed other political parties who participated and lost in the elections in the effort to build the country, noting that the election was now over.
“These elections were a contest in ideas and not a clash of political personalities,†he said.
Although the ideas of the CDC prevailed, Weah disclosed that the situation does not in any way suggest that people of other political parties do not have a contribution to make to their country.
He congratulated President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for her support and commitment to the peaceful transition that would take place in two weeks.
He named democratic empowerment as a legacy of Sirleaf and promised to follow suit in protecting the rights of citizens by providing even greater freedoms. Promising to build on her legacy, Weah disclosed that the work of the outgoing president was not yet complete as her to strengthen its outreach to development partners and investors.
He thanked his family, partisans, collaborators, and supporters for their contribution to his election and promised to keep their confidence.
Weah was officially announced Friday as the winner of the December 26 runoff election by the National Elections Commission after obtaining 61.3 percent of the total valid votes, while his opponent, Boakai received 38.5 percent.
Boakai conceded defeat and congratulated Weah on his win even before the final results were pronounced.
Following his pronouncement as president-elect, Weah has met with President Sirleaf. Sirleaf has also congratulated the incoming president on his victory. She said peaceful transition in January would be an accomplishment to secure Liberia’s space in the comity of nations.
In line with the country’s constitution, Weah would be inaugurated into office on January 15, the third working Monday in the year.
Featured photo by Aaron Nah
