Liberian history has uncovered a new class in the political classification of Liberia whose activities vacillate and contradicts historical interpretations-The Adamant Class. The abulia of this class have altered positive political transformation to embrace patronage, nepotism, despotism and their likes. A chameleon-like feature, the Adamant class is comprised of ambitious uneducated power beggers; semi educated political deceitfuls; debauched power elites and a frustrated, misguilded, apolitical and easily cajoled masses. This class encompasses individuals from various spectrum of the Liberian society but locked together in one ambition and expectation and that is their conscious or unconscious effort to witness a stagnant growth in liberia's political system.
Noticeably, the success or failure of elections in actualizing the expectation of democratic order in Liberia largely depends on the prevailing political intension of the masses, the inherent political culture of the society, and the predisposition of the political elites which I called the structure of electoral mendate. This structure have lacked some necessary incredients over the years and as such the outcomes of the electoral mendate have always metamorphosed into corrupt governace and exploitation of the nation's wealth and resources to enrich personal treasuries. The electoral pages of Liberia's history have attributed undefined political ideologies, lack of political consciousness and unstructure political institutions as causes for failure in the outcomes of electoral mendates at the polls.
All of these attributes are reflecting in the ongoing political process in Liberia and if care is not taken, the October elections will be a repetition of Liberia electoral history. The political fragrance eminating from Liberia is intuitive of the fact that Liberian politics is reduced to a bestial struggle by competing factions of affluence elites and power husslers. It is against this experience of political inability and growing essence of the Adamant class in regards to the decision process of Liberia's presidency that Liberians approach the October 2005 elections with trepidations, fears and anxieties. These trepidations have posed a number of questions: will political actors engage in their usual power hussles with high sense of patriotism to reshape the already gloomy destiny of mama Liberia? Or will the Adamant class be deluded in their frustration again, to seat another multi-estuaries cankerworms to devoid the Liberian economy? All these are foundamental questions whose answers are embeded in the October elections outcome. The interpretors of Libereia's electoral history are yet to unravel the causes of consistant failures in the people's mendate at the poll. One thing remain the characteristic that fuelled the decision of the masses in the Adamant class. Frustration from poverty and economic backwardness afforded by past leaderships in recompense for the people's mendates. This stigma as investigated, embraces self-indulgence rather than evaluating political ideologies and platforms as benchmarks for adept leadership.
An objective analysis of this frustration requires historical and social diagnosis. This need arises from the fact that ideas and ideals do not develope in isolation but invariably have their roots in contemporary historical and social unfoldings. A glimpse at (i)the 1927 elections outcome, (ii)the 1951 elections, (iii)the 1985 elections and (IV)the 1997 elections will aid in explaining the causes of the frustrated decisions of the Adamant masses.
(i)The outcomes of the 1927 elections almost eluded the essesnce and glamour of Liberia's sovereignty as it exposed the barbaric practices of forced labor which our brothers where subjected to at Fernardo Po.
(ii) The 1951 elections was another slap in the face that could be responsible for the frustration of this class. The defeat of D. Tweh after a platform of total liberation, only to witness continuation of the old system which comprises extraverted nationalists was yet another shock.
(iii)Another great electoral shock attributable for the frustration of this class is the 1985 half-baked democracy electoral outcome. This outcome domolished the existing embryonic democratic consciousness, divided the Progressives and evoked blind tribalism. This outcome brought to power an adminstration that booted out it's reliable joints and danced to the whims and caprices of outsiders and wealth-thirsty professionals. We are yet to recover from this electoral outcome.
(iv)The greatest of all these electoral shocks is the 1997 electoral shock. After years of untold hardship, unjustified civil crisis, and persistance poverty; Liberians threw at their back these unjusfied circumstances and embraced the death of their love ones and accepted the "Blood monster". " He spoiled it, he will fix it", was the slogans as if the people were intoxicated. The outcomes then were pronounced immorality, wealth accumulation and political instability. Economic vampires polluted the quiet nights to pull out the nation's resources to enrich personal treasuries at the expense of any after generation. This "locust festivity" embraces cankerworms, caterpillars, palmerworms and all varieties of pest that siphoned the bone and marrows of Liberian economy. We are yet to recover from this shock as the festivity is only given new titles but still persist.
From the electoral analysis just numerated, it is obvious then that Liberia political superstructure is dessecrated. The October 2005 elections are the only insectides to hormonise these frustrations and consecrete Liberia's political future. The political fragrance eminating from Liberia is likely to produce another outcome which might not be a good heritage to pass to our unborn seeds. We can only be a better jugde if we censure our parents and remedy our own circumstances or our children will judge us wrong. The big question still remains, Who shall we send and who shall go for us?
The answers again are embeded in our decisions not to vote political mockeries or we shall envesage a more disasterous Liberia. Like every fore-runner and the initiation of any process the fore-runners of Liberian politics have started a brilliant and heculian endeavor. These processes might have some hollows which are acknowledged. If permitted to be modified and critcised, we must do it with logic and true sense patriotism not eroding the essence of the issues at stake. To be fair criticism must expersonate the critics or argumentum ad homonem and idiosyncrasies influence the ideas. In any case if we allow our selfish desires to derail the importance of Liberia's politics we ourselves are at risk no matter the social status.
We all aim at a better Liberia, it is in this light that I recommend the following to alleviate the distortions, failures and disappointments of our political system to ensure political emancipation and a means of adequately using the Liberian presidency for developing an old but undeveloped Liberia. In this regard the following recommendations are posited
(i) The establishment of political institutions like that of the African Natrional Congress of South Africa. This will keep alive the political momentum by transferring to unborn generations framed ideologies. Such institution will nurture the potentials of convicted party stewards who will keep fresh the reason for a struggle.
(ii) Avoidance of unholy politcal coalitions without ideological samiliarities only in the name of capturing power at all cost.
(iii) Politcal resurgence, this will empower upcoming youth through seminars, scholarship programmes etc organized by these political institutions.
(iv) Transformation of the belief system through a more liberianized curriculum and change in the educational system. A sound politcal environment is a product of an educated society.
(v) Social regeneration to alleviate all manner of social barriers, like that of tribalism, political prejudices etc.
(vi) Spiritual balance to imbue a high sense of judgement and evalution of politcal platforms and ideologies. This will go a long way in weeding out election-time parties.
With these development we would have remedied our own situation after brilliantly censuring that of our forefathers, we will also stand a chance of being jugde not wrongly by our after-generations. The use of the Adamant Class as an orifice to grap power and siphon the resources and wealth of Liberia must be abolished. Our lackaidassical attitudes toward elections, political parties and the Liberian presidency must as well be discouraged.
"Pathemata mathemata"-sufferings are lessons.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Wellington Jah, is a candidate of Bachelor of science in economics at the Anambra State university of Science and Technology. Anambra State, Nigeria.
