Liberia Council of Churches Engages Politicians and Political Parties..

TO STOP USING THE PULPIT AS A PLACE FOR VERBAL COMBAT

Paynesville – With the intention of reducing the use of the pulpit as a launchpad for verbal combat and reducing the tension leading up to the holding of the presidential and parliamentary elections in the country, the Liberia Council of Churches has started interactions with politicians and political parties.
President George Weah recently accused Senator Prince Johnson of extortion during a sermon at the Forky Kloh Jlateh Family Ministry. The Nimba County Senator, in apparent retaliation, advised Liberians not to vote for the CDC-led administration due to suspected corruption using the same platform at his church, Christ Chapel of Faith Ministry.

According to LCC Secretary General Reverend Christopher Toe, as part of the engagement, the council has just had a one-day conversation with Senator Prince Johnson of Nimba County and is soon going to meet with President George Weah. LCC Secretary General Reverend Christopher Toe revealed in an interview with this station that the council has gotten assurance from Senator Johnson not to use the pulpit as a way to launch invective at perceived opponents.

He claims that the council will remind Yekeh Kolubah, the representative for District 10 in Montserrado County, and other independent candidates to be polite in their political remarks. Additionally, according to Reverend Toe, the council will speak with the National Elections Commission, the West African regional organization, ECOWAS, the United States Embassy, and the European Union on the possibility of revisiting the Farmington Declaration.

The National Elections Commission, ECOWAS, the EU, and political parties came up with the Farmington Declaration as a framework for conducting a peaceful and violent-free election in 2017. There have been reports of tension escalating between fans and sympathizers of political parties and leaders in various parts of the nation since this year. A few weeks ago, there were reports of violence between Bill Twehway and Andrew Peters, both of whom are running for the Rivercess County Senate seat in October of this year.

There have been reports of some amount of violence between parliamentary candidates in Nimba County and elsewhere in the nation. Political analysts believe that if precautions are not taken, the development of militant brigades, which are made up of teenagers, in various political parties has the potential to spark conflict and violence among the political groups in the nation.

Reported by: Augustine Octavius

Contact: +231777463963

Email: augustineoctavius@gmail.com

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