BONG COUNTY – Former Bong County senatorial candidate Dr. Mogana Flomo and incumbent Senator Johnny Kpehe have reconciled following a bitter fallout throughout the 2023 senatorial elections, signaling a renewed dedication to unity and improvement within the deeply divided county.
By Selma Lomax [email protected]
Dr. Flomo, who now chairs a reconciliation committee backed by the Bong County management and legislative caucus, had emerged as one of many harshest critics of Senator Kpehe throughout the electoral marketing campaign. On the time, Flomo publicly questioned Kpehe’s roots in Bong County, branding him a “stranger” as a consequence of his paternal ties to Lofa County and warned voters in opposition to electing him.
In a number of radio appearances throughout the marketing campaign, Flomo intensified his rhetoric, accusing Kpehe of “trucking voters” from outdoors the county in violation of electoral legal guidelines. “Do you wish to make somebody senator whose father doesn’t hail from Bong County?” he requested listeners throughout a heated broadcast, framing Kpehe’s candidacy as an encroachment on the county’s political integrity.
After Kpehe was declared the winner by the Nationwide Elections Fee (NEC), Flomo threatened to problem the outcomes, citing what he described as widespread irregularities.
In a dramatic flip of occasions, Flomo and Kpehe appeared Thursday in a photograph posted on Fb, smiling and shaking palms throughout a gathering facilitated by Senator Prince Okay. Moye in his Capitol Constructing workplace. Flomo captioned the picture: “Unity begins with us—nobody else can convey it if we don’t select it ourselves.”
Reacting to the event, Senator Kpehe informed FrontPageAfrica that he had determined to place previous variations apart within the curiosity of unity and progress. “We as a individuals should unite if we wish to see our county transfer ahead. Bong County can’t obtain its objectives after we as leaders proceed to thrive on petty variations,” Kpehe stated. “Through the marketing campaign, my primary message was reconciliation, and I can’t be the one to push again on reconciliation when that was all the time my purpose.”
The reconciliation has been met with widespread reward from residents throughout Bong County. On social media, a number of residents expressed help and hope for a long-lasting peace among the many county’s fragmented management.
Marcus Dolo, a resident of Gbarnga, acknowledged: “If they’ll’t reconcile now, then what are they educating us? They’re our leaders and as soon as the leaders usually are not united, we now have a divided county.”
Alvin Zarwolo, a Bong native dwelling in Monrovia, added: “We look ahead to the result of this reconciliation course of in order that collectively we will forge the event of Bong County.”
Whereas the reconciliation between Flomo and Kpehe marks a constructive step, political tensions stay excessive inside Bong County, significantly amongst members of the county’s legislative caucus. The 2023 elections widened present rifts, notably between Senator Prince Moye of the ruling Unity Celebration and lawmakers aligned with the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
District Three Consultant Marvin Cole and District 5 Consultant Eugine Kollie, each CDC members, have often clashed with Senator Moye over coverage selections and political technique. Their rivalry has performed out publicly, with supporters of each factions usually resorting to private assaults on social media in protection of their respective leaders.
Including to the advanced political panorama is the longstanding feud between Senator Moye and former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor. The rivalry dates again to when Howard-Taylor supported various candidates in opposition to Moye within the 2011 and 2017 legislative elections, and once more within the 2020 senatorial race. In return, Moye actively campaigned in opposition to Howard-Taylor’s 2014 senatorial re-election and opposed her 2023 vice-presidential bid alongside then-President George Weah—a race that resulted in defeat for Weah’s CDC ticket.
The Moye–Howard-Taylor rivalry has repeatedly spilled into the general public sphere, with each politicians buying and selling accusations of corruption and incompetence throughout radio interviews. Their feud continues to divide get together buildings and supporters throughout the county.
Dr. Flomo’s position as head of the reconciliation committee locations him on the middle of efforts to fix these political divisions. His appointment, backed by the Bong County management and legislative caucus, is seen as a strategic try and bridge the county’s polarized management.
Deputy Minister for Administration on the Ministry of Finance, Invoice McGill Jones, counseled Flomo’s new position, saying: “Nice job, Mr. Chairman, Mogana S. Flomo Jr. Let’s have interaction all stakeholders of Bong.”
Nevertheless, the challenges stay immense. Flomo should navigate deep-seated distrust amongst key gamers, ongoing rivalries, and a historical past of failed reconciliation makes an attempt.
One such effort occurred in 2011 when the Improvement Training Community-Liberia (DEN-L), in collaboration with the Bong Christian Affiliation (BOCA), organized a reconciliation jamboree following nationwide elections. That initiative collapsed shortly afterward as a consequence of intensified divisions amongst political leaders, a lot of whom continued to prioritize private ambitions over collective progress.
Regardless of the hurdles, residents are hopeful that this newest reconciliation try will lay the groundwork for a extra unified and forward-looking Bong County. Group voices have harassed that improvement can solely be achieved when leaders collaborate reasonably than feud.
James Lablah, a Bong native, commented: “Congratulations. That is what we want on this nation—particularly in our county.”
Folton Blasin echoed an analogous sentiment: “My coronary heart is comfortable to see the start of unity in Bong County.”
