CDC celebrates 10th anniversary in Nimba

The provincial town of Ganta in Nimba County, northeastern Liberia comes alive this weekend as the opposition Congress for Democratic Change or CDC, gears up to commemorate its 10th anniversary in the commercial city from June 27-28.

CDC national chairman Nathaniel McGill said the party was founded on the principle to improve the lives of those he called grass-rooters. Speaking on “Truth Breakfast Show” on Tuesday, McGill said when elected to power, the CDC intends to create 200,000 jobs for Liberians.

He said government along cannot employ every citizen, but should create the environment for jobs because when most Liberians are employed, the country would be secure from poverty.

According to him the party has formulated an agenda dubbed, “Agenda for Prosperity Compact”, adding a CDC-led government would invest US$10 to 15 million in Agriculture to create employment.

McGill said this will attract more people toward the Agro sector than any other area of the economy. Commenting on the pending celebration in Nimba, he said the Congress for Democratic Change has invited all members of the 53rd Liberian Legislature, political parties and opinion leaders of Nimba to join the party in commemorating 10 years of party politics in Liberia. 

The CDC has contested in two presidential elections since its formation in 2005, emerging for run-offs with the governing Unity Party of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf after failing to secure 50 percent plus one vote of the total ballots cast as required by the 1986 Constitution of Liberia.

Responding to reports of ongoing talks with various politicians, including Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine of the opposition Liberty Party and Senator Prince Yormie Johnson of Nimba for possible merger ahead of the 2017 Presidential election, McGill maintains that Senator George Weah remains political leader of the Congress for Democratic Change and cannot be seconded to anyone.

What remains unclear however is whether Weah, who was running mate to ex-UN envoy, Cllr. Winston Tubman in 2011, still has interest in the Presidency, having won a seat in the Liberian Senate in 2014. By Rewina Juduh – Editing by Jonathan Browne