CDC confronts critics of US

Main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) says those criticizing the American Government for calling for the holding of presidential run-off while alleged electoral frauds and irregularities are being investigated are “hypocritical critics.”

The CDC at its headquarters in Monrovia Wednesday, 22 November said those criticizing the US are very ungrateful to the United States, taking into account the close relations, financial support and ties that have existed between the US and Liberia.

CDC Vice Chairman for Operations and Mobilization Mr. Mulbah Morlu says statements by critics of the US are acts of ungratefulness and ingratitude, stressing that many of the critics have families, properties and investments in the United States and their statements do not warrant attention.

According to him, in Liberia’s toughest times, the only country Liberians cried to is the US. Mr. Morlu recalls that in the wars of 1990, 1994 and 2003, the only country that came to the rescue of Liberia was the United States.

He also says during the Ebola crisis, America made one of the highest contributions that saw the cleaning of the country of the deadly virus. Morlu wonders why now critics are crying about meddling in Liberian politics. The CDC executive claims that Liberia is strategic debt to the United States because whatever affects Liberia directly or indirectly affects the United States.

He adds that the national budget is heavily being supported by the United States and international partners, arguing that “with these contributions, one cannot expect the United States and the European Union to see Liberia runs into chaos only to go back to the US and EU for assistance.

“This is saddened and embarrassing for them,” he says. The US Embassy recently said Liberia’s political leaders should take their cue from the citizens who waited patiently to vote and did so with respect for their fellow citizens, regardless of political views.

It noted that efforts by any actors to impede the expressed will of Liberia’s people for personal ambition could risk goodwill and future investments in Liberia by international partners.

It urged the two leading parties, UP and CDC to focus on the runoff process. The US Embassy said the Liberian people and the international community have worked too hard and invested too much to watch Liberia’s progress stall. The United States says it remains committed to Liberia’s future and encourages Liberians to conclude the presidential electoral process as soon as possible to allow Liberia’s democratic and economic progress to continue.

Earlier responding to former US Ambassador to Liberia Linda Thomas Greenfield’s statement, opposition Liberty Party (LP) said what is not understandable are remarks attributed to the former US envoy Dr. Greenfield which gives the impression that the legal case is a letdown to Liberians and it has been led by ‘a third place candidate who has run three times and never got more than 10 percent.

The LP says it is unfortunate because Dr. Greenfield, an accomplished individual, was born in 1952 in Louisiana, and experienced racism at its core before graduating from a segregated high school in 1970. The opposition party says if anyone should understand the value of a grievance, it should be the Ambassador.

According to the LP, if anyone has benefited, in part or in whole, from a grievance being taken to the Supreme Court of a country, it should be Dr. Greenfield, noting that between the 1950s and 1960s, blacks in America made up about 10% of the population of the United States; yet such small percentage of blacks relative to their white counterparts did not minimize the value of the civil rights struggle, nor detract from the legal cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.

In fact, many whites at the time felt Americans were wasting time on the “irrelevant” issue of race when they could be spending time on other “important” issues.

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor–Edited by Winston W. Parley