'Embrace Results and Move On': Mueller on Senatorial Elections
January 7, 2015 - By Michael Mueller, Sinoe County, Liberia
Former Senatorial Candidate, Sinoe County
Despite the Ebola crisis, our mother country, Liberia has held successful elections and avoided a potentially catastrophic constitutional crisis. It must be acknowledged that no system works perfectly. On the county level there was some debate as to the legitimacy of certain candidates. However, in spite of these misgivings, the elections were held without rancor and their results can now be embraced by the entire nation. Let us hope that our newly elected officials exercise that judgment and integrity befitting elected officials who have been endowed with that most sacred of trusts, the public trust. Now that the crisis has past and elections complete, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our International Partners for their help with the Ebola epidemic with the hope of their continued support in successfully eradicating this virus from out of our beloved country.
Despite my loss, I am proud of my participation in the growth of democracy in our struggling nation. To this end, I would like to especially thank the citizens of Liberia themselves, for their enduring citizenship as they fulfilled their national duty by voting in an election that took place during trying times. Although there were doubts that Liberia could hold elections without bloodshed or civil strife, the people of Liberia removed all doubt that we can proceed to operate as a successful democracy and as such, a nation, even in the face of adversity.
The electorate should no longer continue to beat drums and dance for those leaders that are mismanaging our tax revenues and resources of our country. Let all of us collectively begin the process of making these corrupt individuals accountable for their misdeeds. Let this new election be the signal for the start of a new day for Liberia - A new day in which government corruption will become a thing of the past. A new day where funding is no longer misallocated to private bank accounts, but distributed to those industries and people for whom they were intended. If everyone works towards the goal of uplifting our people from hardship and abject poverty, then everyone wins. Our newly elected officials hold a great responsibility to make this a new day in Liberia and an ongoing reality.
As a nation, it is important that we recognize that fundamental changes to our government's structure are essential to a brighter future. No longer can our legislature continue to be toothless. They must wield the power of the purse and they must pass legislation to do so. No longer can nepotism and graft thrives without consequence. Transparency and ethical governance must be ours and our elected officials' new mandate. We must have an active role in pressuring the government to be true to our ideals and to the promise of our nation. We must be vigilant in reminding our leaders where their interests have taken precedence over ours and to correct them accordingly, now and in the future.
As the elections of 2017 loom in the not too distant future, it falls to all of us, young and old, rich and poor, to work together to ensure that our current and future elected officials are deserving of and continue to earn the trust we have already and will be placing in them and continue to with and for us to forge a brighter future for Liberia.
May the almighty God continue to bestow new and myriad blessings upon our Motherland, Liberia.
Happy New Year!
