I can do better than Sirleaf - George Weah

Leader of Liberia’s main opposition, Party Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), George Weah, says current president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has done little for the country.

In an exclusive interview with Africanews, Weah, a former footballer of good standing, said Sirleaf epitomizes the politician who gets power and doesn’t know what to do with it.

Africanews exclusive: George Weah will run again for Liberia’s presidency https://t.co/unRBEi5O3f pic.twitter.com/0JSGzJCVWu

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Weah scores Sirleaf zero marks in economic recovery and wealth creation, saying she is leaving Liberia worse than it was before.

But the solution he argues, lies with the CDC.

“I have a passion for Liberians and my country. I could lead them but again what is happening now I could have done better. Better in the sense that there are a lot of things I see in Liberia that could just happen but not happening.

“Today, Liberia is one of the least countries around the world in this 21st century,” Weah told Africanews’ Juliet Bawuah.

Weah has already lost two opportunities to taste power, one in 2005 as a Presidential candidate and the other as Vice Presidential candidate in 2011.

Asked who were pushing him to run for the presidency, Weah tells Africanews, it is the Liberian people.

“The love for the people is important. I know with experience and connections I can develop Liberia better than what she did.”

Sirleaf he says, lied her way to power and has had to leave the Liberian people in the ditch afterwards.

“I remember during the debate I said to Liberians if they give one and half years I will give them electricity; she was saying in six months she can achieve that. But I know it was just talk because she wanted people to believe she had the best knowledge of governance. Till today, half of the country doesn’t have electricity.”

Ultimately, Weah hopes to assemble the best local hands available to help build what he considers the better Liberia.

“I could recruit a lot of good people; a lot of people who want to work with us. They don’t want to work with this current president.

“I am going to lobby for our country to be one of the best,”

Years after he failed in his bid to become President, Weah is yet to forgive Sirleaf and her Party for some of the wrongs they committed.

“Unnecessary” violence he adds, became the order during a greater part of the Sireaf rule which ends soon.

But he is promising none of that, rather choosing to play ‘Mr. Nice Guy.’ The 2017 elections he anticipates, will be won through the ballot box.

“Today, I am the biggest opposition leader; I have made sure the city is calm. I am not doing that for Madam Sirleaf, I am doing it for the Liberian people because during her time it was all fighting everyday.”

“Now they take power and they don’t expect other people to fight them. But you see for us, we came by the ballot box not by guns so we will want to continue to keep our hope in the ballot box but make sure that it’s okay that we go through a transparent process,”