“June 7 Will Hold”

-ANC Maintains; As Rep. Kolubah Joins ANC; Dillon, Others Remain Unbending Following Meeting With Weah

By Reuben Sei Waylaun

Despite calls from Liberians and others to abandon the impending June 7 protest in the country by some Liberians under the banner “The Council of Patriots”, the opposition political party, the Alternative National Congress (ANC) has maintained that the impending protest is not just a ‘must’, but that it will hold.

The ANC has since endorsed the protest, but called on organizers to conduct themselves peacefully to avoid the recurrence of previous protests in the country that turned to be chaotic.

President George Manneh Weah Wednesday May 14, 2019 met with organizers of the protest along with some Liberians, to see reason in abandoning their protest and seek dialogue instead.

But speaking Wednesday when Montserrado County electoral district #10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah, a strong critic of President Weah’s leadership who has now joined the ANC; the chairman of the party, Gbarpolu County Senator Daniel Naatehn said no matter what dialogues the Liberian leader holds with the organizers, the June 7 protest remains a must.

However, Senator Naatehn called on organizers to conduct themselves peacefully because their political leaders, Alexander Benedict Cummings is a peaceful man and wouldn’t back any trouble-driven gathering that will make the state chaotic.

He reminded Liberians and others who believe that the ANC is out for trouble to rethink because the ANC was established to help the Liberian people and make them happy.

“June 7 is a must and we are not going to destroy the country as perceived by some Liberians. We want to bring to the Liberian people and the world that the government is not bringing happiness to the people and we are not asking the President to step down,” Senator Naatehn said.

According to him, the Liberian people are looking up to the ANC to rescue them. He added “we are here to protect the rights of the Liberian people.”

Also, the newest ‘force’ on the block of the ANC, Representative Yekeh Kolubah said the world is watching their decision to hold the protest on June 7, 2019.

Representative Kolubah said he didn’t attend the dialogue with President Weah because such discussion was not different from their previous interactions.

“I didn’t attend the meeting today because what we didn’t achieve the last time cannot be achieved today. We need to protest peacefully and the Minister of Justice has assured us of security. So, June 7 will hold,” Representative Kolubah said.

Representative Yekeh Kolubah has meanwhile vowed to travel to other parts of the country to reawaken partisans of the ANC ahead of the 2020 senatorial elections and the 2023 presidential and legislative elections.

He said “I am here because the ANC is a good party. I need to come back home because I am a founding member of the party. Nowhere like home.”

Weah Meets Organizers of June 7 Protest:

In a related development, President George Weah said it is the right of those aggrieved Liberians to protest, but said he wouldn’t underwrite individual’s quest, but issues that are for the general good of the country.  President Weah agreed that the economy is not perfect, but said that can be resolved.

Moreover, the spokesman of the ‘Council of Patriots’ Abraham Darius Dillon said they were invited by the Liberian leader to hear their concerns.

Dillon said their concern is for the President to guarantee the protection for Liberians on June 7 to present their petition to him.

“The invitation didn’t say we should abandon our protest. We want good governance, transparency, respect for the rule of law and we are getting to our people, the ordinary people who look up to us. The peace and stability of this country is paramount to all of us.

“Anybody with the insinuation that the June 7 protest will be troublesome, that person should rethink. The protest remains on course,” Dillon said.

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