Liberia

3 More "Presidents" Surface
...Who Will Win Liberia's Presidency?

By J. Nagbe Sloh
Managing Editor
Sloh Information Service

Philadelphia, Pa, 04/15/04 (SIS) - The date for Liberia's presidential and general elections remains uncertain, but the list of presidential hopefuls gets longer and longer while, interestingly, the country remains bankrupt for legislative candidates. The newest names in the presidential theater are former deputy Information Minister J. Milton Teahjay, former Foreign Minister Lewis G. Brown, and former National Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman Soko Brown.

Already, the three presidential hopefuls have reportedly organized exploratory campaign committees and taken other actions to enter the crowdy race to Liberia's Executive Mansion.

On Sunday, May 9, 2004, the budget committee of Mr. Teahjay's campaign met at 201 North Cedar Lane in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, to put finishing touches to a three million U.S. dollars budget they believe is enough to have him win the United People's Party (UPP) nomination and, eventually, the presidency. Reports say Teahjay has UPP's Gabriel Baccus Matthews and Marcus Dahn to beat if he must bear the party's standards.

At Sunday's budget meeting, Teahjay's campaign also displayed twelve toyota landcruiser trucks destined for Liberia to kick off his campaign effort. Mr. Teahjay himself was at the meeting. The head of the exploratory team, Y. Wloti Hne, told our reporter that the vehicles and other campaign materials should leave the Port of Maryland (USA) shortly for Liberia.

When our reporter cornered Mr. Teahjay and asked why he wanted to be president and why he thought he would win, he reserved comments, saying, he will speak to the press "at the appropriate time." On when he would be traveling to Liberia, Teahjay, chased out after falling from grace with Taylor in 2000, said "As soon as necessary and possible." He declined further comments.

In Monrovia, our reporter said Lewis Brown and Soko Brown are battling for control of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Party. Lewis Brown is reported to be leading the polls of NPP members because he is the favorite of Charles Taylor and other party leaders.

The race for the Executive Mansion widens, the question remains: "Who Will Win The Mansion"?