By Kai Gee, Grand Gedeh County

IP NEWS – Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County: At least two district commissioners in Grand Gedeh County have rejected calls by their colleagues in the county’s leadership who petitioned President George Manneh Weah encouraging him to run again for President in 2023.

Liberia is expected to head to Presidential and General Elections in October 2023. Pres. Weah, who is the incumbent is allowed by the constitution to run again should he decide to go for a second term. Presently, he has gone three years in the first 6-year mandate that the Liberian Constitution allows per term.

Nearly three years ahead of 2023, majority in the leadership of Grand Gedeh County, have petitioned him to consider running again.

Grand Gedeh is a stronghold of Pres. Weah’s ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) judging by the county’s votes in 2005, 2011 and 2017 general elections. They have voted him overwhelmingly in all of those elections.

A county, which has approximately 64,000 registered voters, is located in the southeastern part of Liberia.

The disagreeing two commissioners, who asked not to be named for fear of being dismissed from their posts, told IPNEWS that Pres. Weah is yet to make any better improvement in the lives of Grand Gedeans, who have always overwhelmingly voted for him.

“The nation’s economy is bad; we are suffering; we are not being paid; things are just bad under President Weah. We don’t support the petition. Those who did it, did so on their own,” one of them said.

“I think it’s just so early for such petition. We need to wait and see. I hope those who did that petition could take it back,” the other commissioner added.

The two men are not alone in their disagreement. Since the petition was made, it has become a major public interest discussion as Grand Gedeans in the county and abroad have prodigiously been stating their rejection, too.

The petition statement was presented to Mr. Weah at the Zwedru City Hall, during the county’s share of his visit in his six-county nationwide tour, which is presently going on. The President began his tour in Bong, before moving to Nimba now he’s in Grand Gedeh.

IPNews has reliably gathered that the decision to petition the President was planned and orchestrated by that that section of local authorities in other to get the President’s favor.

The petition ceremonies took place during a mass citizen meeting with the President, held at the Zwedru City Hall.

Sources within the county administrative building informed this outlet that the decision was a promotional one for Superintendent Kai Farley, who some have alleged was on the verge of being dismissed by the President. It is not clear for what specific reason, though.

Residents of Zwedru, the main city in the county, who phoned in on community radio stations’ programs have requested the authorities to retract the petition. All of them have stated that it is not in the interest of the majority.

James Doe Gwen, a local and one of the persons in the hall on the day of the petition, warned that if the petition is not taken back, President Weah will be shocked with the results that will come from his stronghold.
President Weah told the audience, “We don’t look for praise but when people appreciate you, you do more.”