KEY POINTS
- The Liberian opposition has suggested that President Weah be subjected to drug tests and warned him not to evade them like he did with the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Liberian presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on October 10, 2023, and campaigns are gathering pace.
- The 2023 elections will be run solely by Liberian officials for the first time and will be a test of the country’s peace and security.
President George Weah has been accused of using drugs by the opposition presidential candidate, Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe. The opposition leader suggested that the Liberian leader be subjected to drug tests and warned him not to evade them like he did with the COVID-19 vaccine.
Gongloe stated that "he cannot be destroying our country; his children are not even here." "In addition, I have a strong suspicion that he is involved in narcotics and should be tested." "Let him not try to get out of the drug test like he did with Covid-19,"
The opposition leader made the statement at a press conference he recently convened in the heart of Monrovia to discuss the rising calls for all elected or appointed public officials to submit to drug testing. Cllr. Gongloe is a well-known politician and attorney in Liberia. He previously held the positions of President of the Liberia National Bar Association and Solicitor General of Liberia.
Gongloe is also a human rights activist and has been outspoken in his criticism of Liberia's corruption and violations of human rights. Currently, he is the head of the opposition Liberian People's Party, one of Liberia's oldest political organizations.
The idea of government officials taking a drug test was initially suggested by Major General Prince Charles Johnson III, the army chief of staff of Liberia. Cllr. Gongloe responded by saying that before anyone else can be tested for drugs, President Weah should.
According to Cllr. Gongloe, drugs were allegedly found in a presidential escort car a few years ago. In light of this event, the opposition politicians believe that drug checks for public authorities should start with President Weah.
He continued by saying that before George Weah was elected president, one of his friends had been detained for marijuana possession. Mr. Gongloe argued that Mr. Weah has now constructed Jamaica in Liberia. He claims that there is a lot of conjecture that the same culture that is practiced in the Caribbean nation of Jamaica may also be occurring in Liberia.
The opposition leader also claimed that "there are people in the government who are bringing drugs here, and Liberia is a major transit point for drugs." He stated to the media that he agrees with Gen. Johnson's demand that officials submit to drug testing since the availability of drugs in Liberia jeopardizes the country's security.
He continued by saying that it also makes national security and law enforcement challenging. The president must therefore submit to a drug test to demonstrate his commitment to the fight against narcotics. Gongloe claimed that the country's opposition political parties are all ready and willing to deal with the threat in Liberia since it is their duty to do so.
2023 Elections
Two months after the nation celebrates 20 years of "peace" following a protracted conflict from 1989–2003, Liberia will hold its fourth post-war election. These elections, which will be run solely by Liberian officials for the first time, will be a test of the country’s peace and security.
Currently, Liberia is engulfed by a slowly building crisis that might erupt if the National Elections Commission (NEC) does not stop the slide of administrative missteps and political blunders before the crucial presidential and parliamentary elections set for October 10, 2023.
The elections will be tightly contested between President Weah and opposition politicians. It remains to be seen who will prevail. As it stands, the sitting president seems to have the upper hand, and his chances for reelection are very high. Many Liberians are just hoping for free, fair, and peaceful elections.