Naymote Response To UP Rejoinder

By: R. Joyclyn Wea

Monrovia-09-TNR:Naymote partner for democratic development has responded to a December 11, 2023 rejoinder of the incoming government of the Unity Party highlighting critical concerns of the Unity Party on the promises identified and documented by Naymote during the presidential election which President-elect Boakai won.

In a communication addressed to Mr. Amos B. Tweh, National Secretary General Unity Party (UP) dated January 8, 2024, the leadership of Naymote said it recognizes that the political commitments of UP, as outlined in the UP platform, constitute specific pledges to address socio-economic and political challenges facing the nation if elected.

The group has vowed to continue to identify, document, analyze data, and release regular updates to the public on the performance of President-elect Joseph N. Boakai, with commitment to documenting the 100-day deliverables and the roadmap for progress and development, focusing on peace, development, and overall progress for the country, as mentioned by the President-elect during his certification on December 27, 2023, at the NEC.

“Methodologically, we firmly view your agenda as a comprehensive plan that outlines your party’s overarching goals, priorities, and intended actions, if elected. Both political commitments and the agenda in your party platform are interconnected elements forming a cohesive governance framework. The communication further “Since the agenda defines the party’s actions in fulfilling its commitments to the electorate, we consider them as trackable campaign promises to be evaluated to hold your party accountable upon assumption of office.”

Regarding pathways and strategies, Naymote said it is currently using them to develop indicators for carefully monitoring and evaluating the implementation of your party’s commitments.

While the official UP platform/manifesto remains the primary reference document for commitments made by the party and the President-elect, the CSO group said it is important to note that our organization utilizes other credible and reliable sources for compiling campaign promises.

“These sources include both traditional and new social media platforms where public statements made by Mr. Boakai during the political campaign period in different counties across the country were reported and documented.”

The organization strongly believes that relying on different sources for documenting campaign promises provides a more complete and nuanced understanding of political commitments, fostering a well-informed public and supporting robust research, analysis, and assessment.

The communication mentioned that out of the ninety-three (93) campaign promises reported, eighty-three (83) promises were sourced from the party’s manifesto titled “Unity Party Platform 2023: building Liberia for Prosperity and Wealth Creation,” as contained in each of its six pillars.

Additionally, Naymote disclosed that eight (8) promises were tracked from campaign rallies, and the President-elect made an additional two (2) commitments in his speech delivered on December 20, 2023, following his declaration as the winner of the presidential election by the National Elections Commission (NEC).

“As clarified in point 1 above, your party’s agenda defines intended actions toward fulfilling its commitments to the electorate. Therefore, the 58 agenda items provided in our report are considered trackable campaign promises to be evaluated and hold your party accountable upon assumption of office, as against the 9 commitments mentioned. It is important to highlight that out of the 58 promises, 53 were derived from the party’s manifesto (Arrest document), with the remaining 5 originating from pronouncements made by the President-elect in his victory speech and during campaign rallies in various districts.” 

The table below provides a summary of the tracked and documented promises that the new government aims to fulfill in its pursuit of enhancing “microeconomic stability and infrastructural development” in Liberia under pillar 1:

While the UP platform/manifesto slated commitments and agendas, the organization said there are clearly written promises that are actionable and can be tracked under the manifesto and that it did not add any promises to this report saying “everything was identified and documented from the party’s manifesto, campaign rallies, and public statements.”

Naymote is steadfast in upholding the highest standards of integrity and objectivity in its work. We recognize the importance of maintaining a neutral stance in tracking promises, ensuring that the information presented in our reports is accurate, transparent, and reflective of diverse perspectives within our community. Our commitment extends to meeting the standards of fairness, impartiality, and professionalism, utilizing sources that are credible, reliable, and can be independently verified.

“We value collaboration and open dialogue, and our institution is open to initiating discussions with representatives from the Unity Party-led government. This includes sharing further insights on the progress of promises made, gathering reports/updates, addressing concerns, and collaboratively enhancing our work. Throughout our evaluation process, we will consistently touch base with the government and the party to gather relevant information to enrich our assessment.”

Wilson