Many Liberians are supportive of a collaborative pact by four opposition political parties here to stand against President George Manneh Weah’s governing Coalition for Democratic Change in future elections, including the impending midterm senatorial election in 2020 and the 2023 presidential and representative elections, respectively.
The former ruling Unity Party (UP), the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Liberty Party (LP) and the All Liberian Party (ALP) signed a collaboration framework last Thursday in Congo Town, suburb of Monrovia to present a common front.
In an exclusive interview with The New Dawn Monday, February 25, an official of the current administration, who refused to be identified, says the decision taken by the four parties is welcoming and necessary for the growth of Liberia.
“We want to applaud the four political parties for their time in taking such a wonderful decision; we think this decision will inspire the rest of the politicians to form a coalition so as to reduce the number of political parties during election period.”
Also speaking to this paper, a resident of Caldwell Township, Montserrado County, Lawrence Kiazolu, similarly welcomes the collaboration among the four parties, but notes that such decision should have been taken long time ago, something, he says would have stopped the CDC from taking state power.
“This is what we expected from our politicians, to come together and form a coalition; with this, we think it will ease the burden on the government from spending more [money]on printing election materials and other things”, he says.
According to Kiazolu, the economic hardship the CDC-led government has brought on the suffering masses is something that needs a strong collaboration from the opposition to help redeem the people from abject poverty they are undergoing in the country.
Another resident of Montserrado County, Massa Kamara welcomes the collaborative framework, but urges the parties to put the interest of the citizens above every other interest.
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“To form a coalition, it really doesn’t matter; I think what matters to us here is the issue of addressing this economic hardship that [has] taken over our country.”
She says the formation of the new coalition should bring joy or put an end to the suffering of the Liberian people, saying, “We all are aware of how the first coalition is treating us.”
Last Thursday, leaders of four opposition political parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding, pledging to step up efforts that would lead to formation of a united front to challenge the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) at the polls in 2023.
The intention marks a very early start in what promises to be a challenging 2023 electoral period.However, the ruling Coalition dismisses the parties involved as insignificant.
The vice chairman of the governing council of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change for Democratic (CDC), Chief Cyril Allen says leaders, who are in the forefront of the so-called collaboration have no trade-mark politically, noting that some have failed in their respective fields of study, and are instead, running to politics for survival.
By Lewis S. Teh –Editing by Jonathan Browne
