Editorial: No Mr. Weah, Only A Genuine and Formidable Coalition

Again, former Liberian-UN Diplomat Winston A. Tubman has renewed his political marriage with George Weah. After the crumbling of their July 2010 Accra matrimony, followed by the internally rift which engulfed his Liberia National Union or LINU leading to his expulsion, Cllr. Tubman took everyone by surprise on Saturday, March 26, 2011 when he appeared before a number of partisans of the Congress for Democratic Change or CDC to re-establish his political relations- this time to become hooked onto the party as a full-fledge member.

He had done this to remain in the political limelight after all of the political humiliations from the National Democratic Party or NDPL, LINU as well as the failure of the major oppositions to organize themselves into a “ Coalition for Democratic Change” following the August  2010 Monrovia City hall signing ceremony. Cllr. Tubman, who has been desperately craving for a joint ticket with Weah, finally joined the CDC to be a card bearing member on last Saturday, March 26, 2011 at the party’s headquarters in Congo Town.

“We have always identified with the CDC because the CDC represents the young people of this country and young people are the future and I want to be with future,” he said. The former Liberian Justice Minister told his new hosts that the Liberian people needed a beckon of hope that will redeem them from ‘real hardship’ to efficiency, describing the CDC as his home, saying it was the only party he has identified with at all levels.

“Many people don’t want to make the decision, including some of us, but politicians. I am here as a member until April of this year, when partisans of this party will decide who will head the party,” he said. The Political Leader of the CDC, George Weah noted that Cllr. Tubman’s membership would further boost his party’s standing, as well as brightens its chances to take state power in the upcoming elections in Liberia.

While we do belief that Cllr. Tubman’s decision was his political right, and did not still “brightens CDC’s chances to take state power” in the ensuing general and presidential elections as Mr. Weah insinuated while welcoming his new partisan, the Congress for Democratic Change must be made to understand that only a genuine and formidable coalition such as the “August 13, 2010 efforts” at the Monrovia City hall can corroborate Weah’s dream for state power.

The CDC can, in no way, contest as a single political party or even enter into a political marriage with just any politician or political party to draw the support for state power other than those that are well structured in the counties with serious membership and the highest degree of commitment to the people of Liberia and not a few persons.

Mr. George Manneh Weah is to blame for the failure of all opposition efforts toward a formidable political structure to stiffly engage the ruling Unity Party, as a way of striking a serious political competition during the entire electoral process. Unless Mr. Weah opens up and stop insisting that other than, no one else, his dream for a change of the political climate in Liberia will be far from realization.

With the departure of most of the influential executives and members of the CDC who really worked assiduously in 2005 to almost take state power, we believe that no amount or number of “Winston Tubmans” can brighten the CDC’s chances to take state power, other than popular political institutions. But in all fairness to brother Tubman, we welcome his decision to throw behind him the frustrations and political gimmicks within the NDPL and LINU may have been polarized as a result of  un-necessary political sentiments, personal interests and ‘cash’ influence from outside.

It is our fervent hope that while in the CDC as an influential member, Cllr. Winston A. Tubman will use his long-time political, legal and diplomatic experiences to encourage the incumbent CDC Political Leader and a few others to sincerely commit themselves to a more genuine and formidable political grouping, even if it meant that George Weah will not be the standard bearer, so that the ruling Unity party will not just take a “free ride” to the Liberian Presidency for the second term.