PLATFORM OF NATIONAL FREEDOM PARTY OF LIBERIA
PREAMBLE
WE, the Partisans of Freedom Party convinced that the extraordinary changes our nation has experienced as a result of the seven years of civil war have made it necessary to institute a sustainable democracy.
REALIZING that in order to achieve social justice, progress, peace, unity, and security for all, we cannot afford to regress. We must move forward together as one people, one nation under the rule of law and to firmly uphold the supreme wishes of our citizens.
FOREIGN POLICY
Our efforts and energy will be utilized to direct us to establishing an efficient foreign policy, since, we are convinced foreign relations play an important role in our national existence.
Our Foreign Polity will be steward towards all democratic institutions and peace loving nations of the world. We will embark upon all initiatives in search of peace and understanding for the Sub-Sahara region, where peace is dearly needed for the smooth institution of democracy in the region.
We will honor all international treaties and understanding and we will remain committed to our membership in the United Nations, the OAU, the Non-aligned community the economic community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the rest.
HEALTH SERVICES
Health services will constitute the nucleus of our agenda. We firmly believe that a healthy mind and a healthy body build a prosperous and a strong nation.
Freedom Party will skillfully design a health service that will not leave out any one, regardless of their economic status. Health services will be received by the age, disable and the poor at an affordable rate.
EDUCATION
Education is Liberia. Investing in education the human resources of a nation often yield the highest rate of return. Freedom Party will embrace education as one of its priorities and an immediate attention will be given to the restoration of schools, training of teachers and administrators to enhance the proper management of the educational system.
Construction of new schools in the rural area to help motivate our youths to learn/invest in education means investing in the future of Liberia.
Scholarship programs will undergo reform so priority will be given to our brightest minds to use the scholarship program to further their studies abroad and at home.
SOCIAL SECURITY & RETIREMENT
Economic prosperity in Liberia and a good fiscal discipline will yield the environment for the creation of a social security and a sound retirement plan. Freedom Party will create the necessary avenues where by all government workers will be able to voluntary contribute to a social security and retirement plan. Under such a plan, government would match individual contributions with a tax credit. These funds will be established and managed in a private controlled savings account. Private sectors will be encouraged to participate in the plan as well.
ADMINISTRATION
The administration will endeavor to design and approach suitable solutions to the new extraordinary changes our society and the world as a whole has undergone. These changes are creating new situations, and new problems and may require new solutions. The administration of our party will cautiously approach these new changes with an opened mind in order to win the respect and loyalty of our citizens.
ECONOMY
The economy of our nation has been deteriorated and has practically collapsed. We will seek assistance of experts from international organization as well as from friendly governments through bilateral arrangements to help revamp the economy. Policies will be created relative to encouraging and promoting indigenous business and entrepreneurship. Our party plan will address incentives promotive to economic rehabilitation of the agricultural and also the commercial concerns of Liberia.
Our party will adhere to the concept of free enterprise system. We will continue to maintain the U.S. dollar and the local currency as the legal tender in the country.
UNEMPLOYMENT & EMPLOYMENT
No one should think that an easy road lies ahead of us, relative to these situations; the employment situation has been very inadequate. It has worsened with the serious economic problem as a result of the seven years of the civil war.
Investment in the economy of Liberia will be given the highest priority. History has often taught us that people cannot eat slogans rhetoric or, history. Liberty must bring tangible benefits. Our party will endeavor to create a sound economic environment that will lead to employment and easing the unemployment of our people and improving the quality of life of all Liberians within a reasonable period of time. Our party will adhere to the free enterprise system.
JUDICIARY
The judiciary of our nation, interprets the laws of the land, and further, is the safeguard of our liberty under the constitution, and must exercise independence. Regrettably, in recent years it was not shown that independence, which the Liberian people have the right to expect.
Freedom Party will support and respect the court system of our country and will endeavor to ensure all judgments of the supreme court shall be final and binding as prescribed under our constitution. Judges of the courts shall be appointed upon merit.
NATIONAL DEFENSE
Our armed forces will be the solid pillar to defend our national independence and our territorial rights. We will offer to improve the conditions of the armed forces through better training and better facilities. Efforts will be employed to ensure that no members of our armed forces be permitted to intimidate, threaten and maraud peaceful people and unarmed citizens. This important provision of our constitution will be the order of the day.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT & ADMINISTRATION
Local government, since the country is highly centralized, genuine attention will be given to local authorities. Municipalities and chieftaincies will continue to elect their own officials. This important provision in our constitution will be adhered to.
Superintendents of the counties will be appointed by the president, with the advice and consent of the senate.
PUBLIC CORPORATION
Freedom Party will continue to support the role of public corporation, and even advocate the creation of additional ones – to enhance the economy.
INFRASTRUCTURE
The infrastructure in the country is inadequate to say the least and have been badly damaged from the civil conflict. Freedom Party will make all out efforts to restore our basic infrastructure to enable the country to move forward with its restoration agenda.
PUBLIC WORKS & RURAL DEVELOPMENT
The mere absence of public work to restore our roads, networks and rural development often depress productive capacity. Freedom Party will offer to press forward with the necessary repairs of the roads and bridges, which will not hamper rural development. An efficient road construction will form the agenda for our rural development program.
COMMUNICATION & INFORMATION
Freedom Party remains committed to the free flow of information and genuine freedom of the press. The right of our citizens to freedom of speech will be respected to enhance the democracy of the new Liberia. An adequate communication system is necessary for any development country, and we are committed to pursue and improve international communication as well as local communications.
PUBLIC BUILDING
Freedom Party is committed to adequate maintenance of all public buildings serving the government of Liberia. Such maintenance will fall within the veins of our restoration program. Freedom Party will endeavor to construct new structures to facilitate the government development program.
HOUSING
There is a vast need for public housing. Freedom Party will offer to construct adequate housing at an affordable cost to our citizens. We believe that every Liberian is entitled to adequate housing at affordable rate.
YOUTH & SPORTS
Our nation future is vested in our youths, and the youths are the pillars of our sports culture. Freedom Party is soundly committed to the welfare of the youths and the sports of the country. We will create programs beneficial to our disadvantaged youths and the sports culture of the country.
CULTURE & TOURISM
Our cherished values and culture must first and foremost be respected as citizens of Liberia. We are ardently committed to the promotion of tourism and culture as a rich aspect of our heritage.
JUSTICE SYSTEM
The justice system will be one of the high priorities in the new Liberia. Our justice system must be able to function without political influence. Freedom Party will revitalize the court system with proper trained personnel, infrastructure, adequate supplies and equipments, as well as funding, to enable the system to function smoothly.
CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM
The correctional system in Liberia has come to non-existence. Freedom Party is committed to the creation of a correctional system, whereby eligible offenders will be able to undergo training to enable them to re-enter society as productive citizens.
NATIONAL UNITY
Our country is ethnically diverse. We are committed to national reconstruction, reconciliation and national unity, so as to bring everybody into the mainstream. The party believes the collective involvement in this endeavor will accelerate national unity and development. We remain committed to encourage participation in government and the private sector to enhance our unity. One nation, one people united to build a prosperous nation.
CORRUPTION
Dishonest elements unworthy of the confidence reposed in them will be weeded out of the government. We will institute a government, which will win the respect and loyalty of the citizens. Corruption will not be tolerated at any level in the government.
COMMERCE/INDUSTRY AND TRANSPORTAITON
The creation and expansion of commerce, industry and transportation will deserve adequate attention to ensure Liberia participation in the commercial arena of the economy. Further, the party will encourage the improvement of the free enterprise system, through encouraging the citizens to participate in the commercial being of the nation. Liberians in these endeavors will be able to establish an industrial base to promote healthy economic environment. The party aware of the lack of public transportation will design an efficient transportation system to connect Monrovia with the rural areas as well as links Liberia with the outside world.
ELECTRICITY
The seven years of the civil conflict rendered the country with no electricity. The party is committed to complete restoration of electricity throughout the country. Electricity is an important source of energy for any developing nation. Our industries will be depended on electricity to manufacture goods. Cognizant of the fact that electricity is an important source of energy for nation building and also an important element in the improvement of the quality of life of the citizens.
FOOD
Though we are considered self-sufficient in food. However, we will employ a grand scale efforts to improve and enhance our food production capacity. Our road, networks will be improved, to enable the farmers to bring their produce to the market. Private sector farming will be encouraged.
WATER SYSTEM
Freedom Party is committed to full restoration of a safe drinking water system in every sector of the country. Our citizens must have access to clean and safe water system. Freedom Party views the safe, clean water system as an important element in improving the quality of life of our citizens.
BANKING
As an important prescription for a good economy, the banking system will be reformed with the objective to encourage savings and for meaningful resources. We are committed to open savings banks throughout the country, to enable our people to deposit their monies with the bank with assurance that their deposits will be protected.
CIVIL SERVICE
The National Freedom Party is committed to develop an efficient civil service, through training, and guarantee of tenure for Civil Servants. There shall be guarantee pensions based on length of service. The basic right of Civil Servants will be respected under the Freedom Party administration. Mechanism will be put in place to ensure that the best and the brightest are recruited, and concrete reforms will be considered to improve the system.
NATIONAL INVESTMENT
Freedom Party considers national investment one of its areas of interest. We offer to give our fullest attention to those elements, which are desirable to encourage and promote national investment at the best level.
PRESS FREEDOM
Freedom Party is firmly committed to the freedom of the press. Our constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press. All genuine efforts will be employed for the free flow of the press and the rights of the people to express their views in a proper manner. We gear ourselves to maintain a genuine democracy and within this norm, the free flow of information will be highly respected in the new Liberia. All media outlets will be encouraged to function within the prescribed laws of the country.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Proper method of fiscal discipline will be put into force. Freedom Party believes in accountability. The citizens have the rights to look up to their leaders for proper accountability, by demonstrating this ability; government wins the respect and loyalty of its citizens.
CRIME
We at the Freedom Party believe in fighting crime. Crime has reached an inexcusable proportion. One way to combat crime is to create a warm environment, whereby, our youths will be taken off the streets, and put into vocational education, where they will learn a trade and reinvest them into society in order to become productive citizens. Another avenue we will pursue is to better train our police force and other law enforcements apparatus to enable them to deliver us a safe streets, roads, towns, cities and villages.
AGRICULTURE
We will re-enforce our agriculture programs, at the college level, but we will deem it necessary to train middle level manpower to ensure that the agricultural program becomes successful. Freedom Party will encourage our local farmers to increase their agricultural capacity to facilitate the self-sufficiency in our food production.
TAX SYSTEM
The National Freedom Party is committed to reform the tax system. Reform will be needed to facilitate improvement in tax administration, and enforcement of new tax measures to enhance the collection of revenues.
Done on this 26th day of March, 2001.