By: Washington Tumay Watson-onewash9@gmail.com
MONROVIA-The Chairperson of the Governance Commission (GC), Atty. Garrison Yealue has justified his decision to support the re-election bid of President George M. Weah in the October 10 Presidential and Legislative Elections.
According to Atty. Yealue, the Act that established the Governance Commission prohibits the Commissioners from joining a political party, but do not prohibit a person’s support for an individual vying for an elected position.
Atty. Yealue justification comes as a result of a recent press release issued by the Election Coordinating Committee (ECC) indicating that its attention was drawn by the active involvement of the Chairperson of the Governance Commission in politics in disobeying Section 5.3.4 of the Act that established the Commission.
The Act states that, “Commissioners must maintain a non-partisan stance to prevent the commission’s agenda and processes from being influenced by political biases.”
The release further noted that Atty. Yealue conduct is also in total violation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials (Section 5.1.3) which clearly prohibits public officials from engaging in political activities while in office.
It was noted recently in a Facebook post by Atty.Yealue expressing his support for President Weah’s re-election bid and his intention to encourage his fellow community members to do the same.
But speaking via phone conversation on Prime FM Tuesday, June 20, 2023, from Grand Bassa County, the GC boss clarified that the Facebook post was his personal page and not the GC’s which did not contrivance the policy of the Commission.
“I was not speaking on the official Facebook page of the commission or any official platform of the Governance Commission; that page that you are seeing was created in 2007 and that is my private page,” he clarified.
The GC boss disclosed that the Commission is a policy-driving organization that is not like the other integrity institutions like the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) Internal Auditing Agency (IAA), and General Auditing Commission (GAC).
Yealue said the public need to understand that he is not investigating anybody at the GC per its mandate which is a full policy formulation institution, indicating that the GC is driving the policy of the Government of President George Weah.
“The Local Government Act is not a political tool, it is a political tool so when you are working at a policy-driving institution it is hard to divert your function from politics because I report to the President and who is the President? The President is a politician, unlike GAC, LACC that report to the Legislature or the policies that I’m drifting are sent to the Executive Manson,” he said.
He said in line with the Constitution of Liberia which gives him the right to express his opinion and freedom of association, he will not be ungrateful to President Weah who appointed him to a position in his government and refused to support such person’s governmental agenda on his reelection.
According to Atty. Yealue, the issue of nonpartisan in line with the GC Act clearly states that you should not be a political party member or display a party T-shirt adding that he is not a partisan of the CDC, but he is supporting President Weah’s reelection.
Atty. Yealue disclosed that his decision to support President Weah’s reelection is also due to his developmental projects mostly road connectivity.
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