Following recent bitter disagreement between President George Manneh Weah and some executives of his ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, CDC Chairman MulbahMorlu, calls for reconciliation among partisans and Liberians generally.
“As our country confronts with many challenges, it is incumbent upon us to work together as a united people to sustain the peace and stability of the land. It must not be forgotten that just a few years ago, war and violence was at our doorsteps, and peace was only possible through the sacrifice of countless lives from good nations and profound international institutions that came to our rescue,” he asserts.
Chairman Morlu recently defied President George Manneh Weah in stopping him (Morlu) from presiding over a meeting at the President’s Jamaica Resort.
However, addressing a news conference in Monrovia, Monday, December 23, Morlu says Liberians cannot afford another mistake of sort, which can be avoided if they de-escalate tension, abort violent rhetoric’s from the domestic debates.
According to him, the CDC-led government continues to seek fulfillment of its mandate to deliver prosperity to the country and change the lives of the people for whom the party victory remains committed.
Chairman Morlu continues the national executive committee of the CDC praised the impressive performance of President George Manneh Weah for his great deliberations on state radio station, ELBC recently.
Morlu notes said deliberations had great resonance with millions of ordinary people, reassured the business community, and has come to be rallied cry to national unity.
“He inspired hope during the interactions, spoke frankly about the challenges, and nevertheless touches on the pressing issues our detractors on the other side of the divide have been exploiting to stoke violence and foment chaos in the country. The CDC appreciates said captivating and reassuring balm in the President’s message, which was interlaced with his usual characteristics frankness and warm touch,”, he lauds.
Morlu discloses that as a result of his recent statement, calling on President Weah to address some key issues facing country; the President has promised to look into some of the issues raised.
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However, in a leaked recording being circulated in Monrovia, chairman Morlu is heard blasting President Weah for having extra-marital affair with an official of government.
President Weah’s fiercest critic and talk show host Henry Costa, aired the recording on Monday, drawing public attention here.
But responding to the claim, President Weah notes: “Morlu is the chairman of CDC; I mean everyone can get angry and talk, but those that sit when people are expressing their frustration to record them and play them, these are racketeers, apparently diverting public attention from the main issue.
Relations between the ruling CDC chairman and the party standard bearer President Weah reached boiling point recently when Morlu recently called for both investigation of officials amassing real estate and reshuffle of the current cabinet.
But the call did not settle down well with the President, who called for an abrupt meeting of party executives late Tuesday, 17 December where he reportedly blasted the entire leadership.
The meeting, called at Mr. Weah’s Jamaica Resort along the Robertsfield Highway opposite Baptist Seminary endede in deadlock.
Upon arrival at the Resort, Chairman Morlu sat in the Presiding Chair but was immediately ordered by President Weah to step aside. Instead, the Standard Bearer asked national secretary general, Janga Augustus Kowo to preside.
However, Mr. Weah’s mandate was vehemently resisted by ruling Coalition Lawmaker, Acarous Moses Gray, on grounds that CDC’s constitution says at any meeting of the party, the chairman shall preside or if not present, the Standard Bearer shall chair such gathering of party executives. But President Weah maintains bitterly that the rowdy-talking Chairman Morlu would not preside over the meeting.
Rep. Gray then argued that since it was a party executive meeting, it should be held at the CDC headquarters in Oldest Congo Town instead rather than the President’s private Resort.
President Weah immediately got annoy, ordering officers the Executive Protection Service to ask Gray out, but both Speaker Bhofal Chambers and Commerce Minister Wilson Tarpeh intervened, calming Mr. Weah.
Gray then demanded that the presidential security should leave the meeting since the issue involves stalwarts of the ruling CDC. However, the Standard Bearer and President of Liberia defended that the EPS officers took oath to defend him (President Weah) at all times and anywhere, and CDC’s meeting is no exception.
President Weah insisted Chairman Morlu would not preside or there would be no meeting. Both Gray and Morlu then engaged their Standard Bearer in bitter arguments.
Sources present at the tense atmosphere, revealed that President Weah vowed Morlu will be asked to resign as party chairman, on grounds that he lacks leadership ability to shoulder such huge party.
But Morlu in return, fired back that it is impossible, and that President Weah should be careful about the pending December 30 demonstration by the Council of Patriot.
The belligerent CDC executives lamented that have been denied access to President Weah allegedly by senior protocol officer, FindaBondo and the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel F. McGill. By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor–Editing by Jonathan Browne
