The former Senator of Maryland County, John Ballout, says there is a need for a ticket with Ambassador Joseph Boakai as Standard Bearer and Alexander Cummings as Vice Standard Bearer in order to claim a first-round victory in the October 2023 polls.
According to him, opposition members who will merge the two top opposition political figures, Boakai and Cummings, will restore the hope of the Liberian people.
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at Bella Casa Hotel, the former senator called on the Political Leader of Liberty Party (LP) and Grand Bassa County Senator, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, to vie for the President Pro-Tempore position of the Liberian Senate and give up her dream of becoming the running mate to Ambassador Boakai.
Ballout recommended that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) be crafted to guarantee that Cummings takes over as the next standard bearer of the opposition block after the presidency of Ambassador Boakai following his victory in the 2023 presidential and legislative elections.
Former Senator Ballout said if the opposition goes to the 2023 elections divided, it will lose most of the legislative seats to the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
He noted that when one of the members of the opposition reaches the runoff, it will be a daunting task to reconcile the differences caused by years of in-house fighting.