By Staff Writer
The Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives (LMDI) in partnership with the Kreative Mindz Studio Limited or KMTV Liberia and the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL) announces the successful completion of four regional debates for Vice Presidential Candidates ahead of the October 10, 2023 elections.
The LMDI runner of THE DIALOGUE, DUCOR DEBATES and TOMORROW’S PEOPLE, three community outreach focused People To People (P2P) platforms conducted four Vice Presidential at Gbarnga, Buchanan, Sanniquellie and Cooper Farm Paynesville near the FENDAL Campus of the University of Liberia, all in Bong, Grand Bassa, Nimba and Montserrado Counties respectively.
At the four locations, the LMDI saw the presence of an average of seven of the 20 VP candidates attending the debates. The seven vice presidential candidates were Dr. Emmanuel Yakparwolo, Madam Grace Tee Kpan, Celia Cuffy Browne, Dr. Max Vargbele, Dr. Slomon Moribah, Emike Slawon and Grace Yuahn.
LMDI Director John Kollie says the 4th Vice Presidential debate for 2023 elections was the climax of the intriguing debates that saw rural Liberians for the first time directly interact with Vice Presidential Candidates at Gbarnga, Buchanan and Sanniquellie, three of the locations, for the second time in Liberia’s democratic history.
LMDI Director John Kollie says the three other LMDI, KMTV and FEJAL organized VP debates have been rolled out regionally at Gbarnga, Buchanan and Sanniquellie in Bong, Grand Bassa and Nimba Counties respectively with rural Liberians for the first time facing the people who are fighting for the second highest job in the power structure in Liberia’s democracy.
At all four of the debates the main issues were drugs and substance inflow in Liberia, the abuse and attendant effects on the youths of post-war Liberia. The other concerns were dealing with Liberia’s war past and the ever-growing urge for the establishment of an internationally manned war and economic crimes court to try perpetrators of war crimes during Liberia’s civil war, Liberia’s dual currency regime, the United Sates Dollars verses the Liberian Dollars, the fight against corruption and the country’s infrastructure needs among other issues.
On the average seven of the 20 candidates approved for participation in the October 2023 legislative and presidential elections attended the debates. The perceived lead candidates so far stayed away for either no or faint reasons.
This year’s set of VP debates were a sequel to the first one conducted by the LMDI in the 2017 general elections at Kakata Margibi County.
All debates hosted by the LMDI and partners were held under the LMDI’s organization’s nationally known Town Hall style debate platform, DUCOR DEBATES, and were given the usual massive media coverage by the LMDI’s Partner Network of 45 National and Rural Community Radios and scores of social media platforms.
LMDI’S debate facilitators and moderators were drawn from the LMDI itself, national and rural community radio partners and Civil Society organizations across the country and all debates are centered around urgent and concerning issues of concern in the country.
