Monrovia – Thousands of aggrieved partisans and supporters of the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) have threatened to ensure that their Standard Bearer President George Manneh Weah is not re-elected in the pending 2023 general and presidential elections for allegedly dashing their hopes and aspirations, failing to improve their living conditions and holistically combat against corruption in his government.
The CDC comprises of three political parties including the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), Liberian People Democratic Party (LPDP), and the former ruling National Patriotic Party (NPP).
In a statement issued in Monrovia under the signature of their Chairman Invester Kanneh on Thursday, October, the aggrieved partisans and supporters of the CDC under the banner: National Disenchanted CDCians Movement claimed that promises made to them in 2017 are yet to be actualized by the government and Standard Bearer.
“We were promised a prosperous and united country in which state resources could be used for the good of both the rich and poor. We were promised a government that would fight corruption, a government that would do everything possible to make Liberians active participants and not spectators in the affairs of their country. Fellow LIBERIANS, we are constrained to at this point expressed disappointment in the CDC led government. It is saddened to see ourselves being victims of our own revolution.”
The group emphasized that their disappointment in the current administration comes following numerous failed engagements with party leaders to caution them to ensure that the government “we brought to power operates according to our promised to the Liberian people.”
Figures of mockery
“Our own government has turned us into figures of mockery. CDCIANS are now seen like “market dogs in many quarters. Majority of us cannot afford to feed ourselves nor shoulder the responsibility of our respective families least to talk about paying party dues.”
They added that the government that they collectively struggled to elect has now been taken over by “cronies and relatives’ syndrome” similar to the very “cartel” that were previously in charge of the nation.
The aggrieved partisans and supporters added that they continue to witness “suppression, gossip charioting, marginalization, lack of nationalism and internal power struggle” since the inception of the Weah led administration.
Reaching out for Weah’s re-nomination
The group emphasized that as the 2023 general and presidential elections draw nearer, disenchanted supporters and partisans, who have been abandoned and neglected, are being reached out to due for a re-nomination program being planned to petition the party’s Standard Bearer George Manneh Weah to seek a second term.
Sometimes ago, the CDC, through its Chairman Mulbah Morlu launched a reconciliation drive to bring back disenchanted former executives, partisans and others to the party.
The re-nomination program for President Weah has been scheduled for December 2022. However, the group is adamant that the ruling party pays attention to their plight.
“It is the right of President Weah to seek re-election. But we the leadership and members of the Disenchanted CDCians Movement, a group comprised of die-hard but betrayed CDCIANS with a membership of more than 75,000 active members do hereby denounced, reject and distance ourselves from the impending November and December 2022 WEAH 2023 Re-nomination program.”
The group further called on other members of the ruling party and Liberians who are “the direct victims of this regime’s insensitivity to stay away from this program and all glorification styled programs intended to make the Standard Bearer of our party to feel good.”
“We want President Weah to get the message ahead of time that we his grass root supporters are frustrated and tier of the level of lies deceit, betrayal and hypocrisy being meted against us.”
“As CDCIANS, we know the doctrines and constitution of our party so let no one make mistake to send people after us for flagging issues affecting us. We want to emphatically state that, we have shown respect to the leadership of our party by meeting with leaders to discuss issues affecting us on countless occasions without result. They’ve chosen to lie to us on countless occasions. We have been looked down upon.”
Jobs for unqualified relatives, loved ones
The group claimed that their leaders are also in the constant habit of allegedly recommending their relatives and loved ones for gainful employment with key government institutions, while those who fought for the party with their blood and strength are forgotten.
“We want President George Manneh Weah, the Standard Bearer of our party, to know that we are not dogs or cats. We demand the best from his leadership that we overwhelmingly struggled with everything to bring to power. Those who insulted us and call him all sorts of denigrating names cannot be the ones to continue to run things. We will “RESIST” any attempt to see us as only election time materials.”
They emphasized that the CDC comprises of qualified partisans and supporters who also deserve the right to work in government.
All is not well
“As a clear sign of our resolved to sustain this debate, we have instructed our County Coordinators to immediately start a door-to-door campaign across the country to undermine all forms of partisans movement efforts for false impressionists who continue to create wrong picture to President Weah or international partners that all is well in Liberia. OUR Movement would like to send a direct warning to those planning to announce jungle justice-styled action against us because of our boldness to express disgust over the unbearable situation we currently face. We want you to know that it will be met with stiff resistance in a way that would result to bad PR.”
The group maintained that Liberians from all walks of life were ultimately upbeat and committed to supporting the idea of forming a marching order towards finding an amicable solution.
“We are here today to execute an important plan intended to send a clear message to President George Weah and dozens of selfish party leaders who thinks those who worked tirelessly hard to elect the CDC government are lower than humans and as such do not deserve anything good from the CDC led government.”
“In the years that followed, current President George Manneh Weah although than reluctant about the idea of embarking on a political sojourn; later agreed to work with a team of patriots to institutionalize a marching order. With deep sense of conviction in the future, I mean a prosperous and united country in which all would prosper, get the necessary empowerment to enable them to achieve their greatest potentials.
The group recalled that the CDC was established in 2004 at a time Liberia was in dire need of a political structure that could save its image and governance process which had technically broken down due to several factors including tribalism, despotism, corruption and total breakdown of law and order.
They pointed out that as the struggle to ensure a CDC led government intensifies; they (disenchanted partisans) were faced with challenges.
The aggrieved partisans and supporters of the CDC maintained that some of them loss family ties, fabulous jobs, livelihood, comfort and other different kinds of empowerment opportunities as a result of the decision they took to support a desperate revolutionary quest to usher in a CDC led government of Liberia with the mantra of “CHANGE FOR HOPE”.
Without direct economic benefit or any assurance whatsoever, they recalled, that “CDCIANS from all walks of life galvanized our own resources, printed our own t-shirts, dropped out of school to fully dedicate our time to the cause, used monies to directly fund party programs and even broke family ties to protect the interest of the Blue revolution where and when it became necessary.”
“Dozens of our fellow compatriots were humiliated, assaulted, harassed, imprisoned and some even killed whilst defending the position of the CDC. We CDCians have always been there. We started the cause from 2004 up to 2005 when we tested our loyalty and resolved for the first time. We continued up to 2009, 2011, 2017 and 2018 with full dedication and loyalty to our party. We were assured of a better LIBERIA once we took state power.”
Division & disenchantment
In an exclusive interview with FrontPage Africa in Monrovia on Thursday, the Chairman of the Disenchanted CDCians Movement observed that President Weah has miserably failed to address challenges and reconcile the party as a Standard Bearer.
He said the manner and form in which the government was formulated did not trigger down to benefit supporters and partisans at the grass root level.
He noted that there exists a high level of division within the ruling party
“There are lots of lapses within our government. The President continues to appoint his friends who are unqualified; they continue to carry on corruption, and they were not in the struggle with us even though they are Liberians.”
Kanneh said the Liberian leader has not done enough to take punitive measures against his government officials accused of corruption.
He maintained that the recent US sanctions on some ex-government officials run contrary to President Weah’s consistent shielding and professed saying that there is no evidence to have them prosecuted.
“The President has abandoned the party because he and the National Chairman have some issues. Of recent, the President wants to be re-elected and he wants to use us as tools. Whenever election is coming, he comes back and asks us to elect him.”
“We have not been benefitting from the institution that we made. Some of our brothers died in the process and you can’t take power and appoint girlfriends and friends or other party officials’ family members and leave out the revolutionaries who fought with their sweat and blood. We are disappointed in the President.”
He continued; “Our plan was to make Liberia a better place for everyone and not just for party officials’ families or President Weah’s friends. We did not vote for him based on friendship; we voted him so that our lives can be changed, and he promised us.”
He noted that with just less than a year to the expiration of the first term of President Weah, there is no hope that partisans and supporters will be incorporated during the second term of his presidency.
Re-election threatened
“President Weah’s re-election has been threatened by the disenchanted CDCians and it has been proven over the years.”
Kanneh maintained that members of his group will take similar action they took by voting against their party’s candidates during past by-elections in Montserrado and other counties, if their Standard Bearer fails to prioritize their wellbeing.
“Everybody felt that Thomas Fallah could win in Montserrado County. But we refused to vote for him not because he had problems with the party-no; it’s because of bad governance and corruption. We spoke about these things, but the President has not been taking actions.”
He pointed out that two separate communications were sent to President Weah proffering their grievances and recommendations, but no acknowledgment has been made up to present.
“The President is not proceeding rightly, and this is not what we planned. He has diverted from our plan. President Weah has betrayed the struggle with CDCians.”
Don’t bring glory to Weah
Kanneh maintained that there is no justification for executives of the party to continue to rally supporters and partisans to form a part of a re-nomination program when they are “not benefitting from the national cake.”
“It doesn’t make sense to re-nominate President George Weah for him to be re-elected. That’s the reason we have mandated our members not to be part of the nomination or any process that will bring glory to George Weah for the 2023 elections until he can see reason and come on the drawing board with the disenchanted CDCians and implement those recommendations and change the variables by bringing reconciliation to the party. I see the President being defeated in the elections (in 2023) if these things are not addressed.”
He justified that the current rigmarole within the opposition community does not necessarily guarantee President Weah’s re-election.
He observed that opposition political parties may likely rethink their decision and hold together prior to the elections due to the manner and form in which the situation is being steered by their Standard Bearer.
“If the opposition resolve their differences and decide to contest as a political party under the CPP or any other party, they will defeat President George Weah. President Weah has forgotten to know that 35% of his votes from 2005 have always come from his base; and he has betrayed and abandoned his base. CDCians have been voting against the party because we are disenchanted. The President does not have the authority again to tell people to go this direction because, he has betrayed, frustrated and abandoned us.”
“Because of that, we are not going his direction. We will have no regret to vote against President George Weah if he fails to come on the drawing board; he’s no exception to Thomas Fallah and Paulita Wie. We did it against other candidates of our party during the by-elections; we can also do it against President Weah.”
Kanneh wants the Liberian leader to resolve his differences with party leaders and disenchanted partisans and supporters as part of effort to cement his second term.
“President Weah will feel bad, and he will have the worst situation of his political life come 2023 if he fails to come back to the party and reconcile with the disenchanted CDCians.”
When contacted via telephone, CDC Chairman Mulbah Morlu refused to answer his phone or respond to text messages.
The tasks
President Weah, who enjoyed the confidence of citizens from the grass root level in past elections, faces an uphill task of reconciling his party ahead of the elections.
The failure of his government to provide job opportunities and address the numerous challenges confronting the citizenry remains noticeable among the masses.
The drought of foreign-direct investment opportunities and harsh economic constraints which triggered the closure of various companies and businesses worsened the situation over the years and put pressure on the government to find other means to provide employment opportunities for its supporters.
Slashing of civil servants’ salaries through a salary harmonization scheme launched is not being favored by government employees in the wake of a shattered economy.
The skyrocketing of the prices of basic commodities and other essential goods continue to impose hardship on the masses, many of whom are already impoverished.
The recent elections results, especially in Montserrado, which has been the stronghold of the CDC, is a wakeup call for the melding of the broken pieces within the ruling party, and the need for the government to exert efforts in finding solutions to economic constraints and other challenges confronting the citizens in a bid to win their minds ahead of 2023.