In Liberia, the campaign for the general elections on Tuesday October 10 continues. Beyond the meetings and local campaigns, a public debate was organized yesterday, Tuesday October 3, in Monrovia. The aim of this exercise is to popularize the programs of each of the twenty candidates for the presidential election.
2 mins
With our special correspondent in Monrovia, Bineta Diagne
The debate takes place in an amphitheater at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Conference Center. Seven out of ten candidates responded. Adama Dempster, a civil society activist, regrets the absence of the three favorites in this election: “ I am disappointed by the absence of the main candidates. I would have liked the president and the opposition leaders to be present. This would help us to have a clear vision of the future of the country. »
Two minutes
Each candidate has two minutes to summarize their program. Then the public asks questions: infrastructure, health, education, war crimes. Lawrence Yealme, director of the NGO Accountability Lab Liberia, deplores the lack of preparation of the candidates: “ Only one candidate addressed the issue of war crimes and economic crimes, but this is a subject that really concerns us, because we need answers about the crimes of the past. None of these candidates have managed to correctly explain how they intend to lead the country. Some just talked about the problems, instead of saying concretely what their policy would be. It’s just comedy. »
Few people there
Few people made the trip. The organizers put this low participation into perspective. Lien Bach is the Media Program Manager at USAID: “ This debate is broadcast live on community radio stations, national radio and television channels, and on the internet. This allows us to reach all citizens within the country “. The next public debate is scheduled for Friday. The ten other presidential candidates were invited to present their program there.
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