Former Vice Standard Bearer of the Alternative National Congress, Jeremiah Sulunteh, has again compromised his ambition for yet another electoral seat in Bong County.
Sulunteh who had earlier made known his ambition for the Bong County Senatorial race on Saturday, October 17, back off and endorsed the re-election bid of incumbent senator Henry Yallah; marking his fourth acquittal from elections in the county since 2011.
The former Liberian Ambassador in 2011 announced his intent for the senate seat when he was a member of the Unity Party. His intention never saw the daylight, as he would later dropped his ambition for what political pundits believed was a kick-back of his Ambassadorial post in the US, Mexico and Canada; a similar withdrawal that was witnessed in 2014-on ground of “family ties” with Senator Henrique Flomo Tokpah.
Following the election of Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor on the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) ticket, a by-election was automatically created in Bong County to fill the void created at the Liberian Senate by VP Taylor. A second ambition was announced by Ambassador Sulunteh. He had hoped of an endorsement from the CDC that is being chaired in Bong by District #3 Representative Marvin Cole. The former Liberian Ambassador to the US, Mexico and Canada during the 2018 senatorial by-election left the race, immediately after Representative Marvin Cole declared his intention to contest the election. Representative Cole, whose declaration of intent led Sulunteh to back off the race, was reportedly instructed by President George Weah to support Sulunteh, but later summersaulted and contested the election.
As the country heads to yet another senatorial election, the Liberian diplomat resurfaced earlier this year and expressed interest in the upcoming midterm senatorial election, but soon begin tight-lipped after he resigned from the opposition Alternative National Congress in June of this year.
Sulunteh, prior to his fourth acquittal in a Radio Gbarnga interview in May of this year, stated that he would contest the ensuing election, even if US President Donald Trump was a candidate, on grounds that the county has not been represented well.
He soon began to campaign on the basis of misrepresentation of the county by current leaders, lack of opportunities for especially young people, and lack of transparency and accountability on the part of the county’s leadership.
The erstwhile Liberian Ambassador branded the two big names in the Bong County Senatorial race-Liberia’s Deputy House Speaker and Representative of District #2 Prince Moye, and incumbent Senator Henry Yallah as inexperienced and self-seeking politicians who are only after their personal benefits at the national legislature.
“I am a class “A” politician; Moye and Yallah are placed in class “C”. They have not done much to represent the county since their election. All they are currently involved with is to use Sunday school words to insult their persons; how then can they represent Bong County upon their election.” Sulunteh stated.
He urged his supporters not to vote for either of the two big names in the county as any attempt of doing so would plunge the county into backwardness and undermine the county’s development.
To the surprise of many in the county, Jeremiah Sulunteh announced his decision to support Senator Henry Yallah on Saturday- a candidate he had earlier termed as a recipe for underdevelopment and the county’s misrepresentation.
“I like to announced today that I will not be a candidate in this December 8 Senatorial Election- a decision that was very hard to make but was finally taken after thorough consultation with my family, friends and supporters. We will support the reelection bid of Senator Henry W. Yallah in these elections.”
The former Vice standard bearer of the Alternative National Congress in the 2017 presidential elections, has also joined ranks with the Congress for Democratic Change of President George Weah.
Speaking at the occasion, Sulunteh, who left Unity Party in 2016 having contested as running mate to former presidential candidate of the National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), Ambassador Winston Tubman in 2005, said he has found a political home in the CDC and there he shall remain.
Citizens of the county are said to be disenchanted over Ambassador Sulunteh inconsistency and decision to support Yallah in the upcoming election.
Emmanuel Tamatai a regular talk show caller in Bong County termed the Liberian Diplomat decision as a mockery and total betrayal to his supporters. “These are some of the very people, who brand us (young people) in this county as inconsistent, but he has failed to stand up in a single election after announcing his ambition in the county; these attitudes are counterproductive to the county’s progress,” Tamatai indicated.
Gormah Sackie: “I am very disappointed in the decision taken by Jeremiah Sulunteh. I have decided to have supported his bid but look at what he did. This is not the first, second, nor third time; I will never go his way because he does not care for the people who are supporting him. Why must he always take decisions to support his own interest?”