Lookin’ Inside From Outside – The Weah- Brumskine Deal

When news of the Brumskine-Weah Deal was released to the public weeks ago, partisans of the Congress for Democratic Change or CDC and admirers of Mr. George Oppong Weah were actually shocked. Of course, partisans and other executives of the CDC were taken aback by such news because they knew nothing about the entire deal and process leading to the Accra agreement between him and Charles Brumskine.

Even the initial resistance by these “CDCians” signaled a state of confusion among ordinary partisans and division within the hierarchy or National Executive Committee, with majority opposing Weah’s new political marriage.

The reasons behind such political marriage were what most of these CDCians, including loud-speaking Acarous Gray could hardly comprehend, considering the fact that the political culture and ideologies of the two individuals and parties were at variance.

Most CDCians I interacted with described the Weah-Brumskine Deal not only as a betrayal, but an unholy political marriage, being very mindful about Charles Brumskine’s selfish political posture and desire. They could not even accept Mr. Weah’s clarifications that he could be second to no one in 2011, and that he had met with Cllr. Brumskine on a brain-storming exercise in Ghana relative to efforts aimed at collaboration.

Of course, most of the politically smart CDCians within the hierarchy of the party and general membership had already received information from the United States, Switzerland and Ghana about the entire process leading to the Accra Agreement between the two, following the departure of George Weah from Monrovia.

I am informed that “big cash” was actually the driving force behind the Weah-Brumskine Deal- some US$2,000,000.00 and his decision to accept the second place position on the ballot.

The Counselor is reported to have met the Black Congressional Caucus of the United States (a few of whom he has ties) a few months ago to explain his political plight.

Of course, his presentation as a lawyer and his friendship with a few of them won him the sympathy and needed assistance, owing to the fact that some members of this Caucus did not like “Ellen” and wanted her out in 2011 at all cost through the democratic process.

His recommendation of Mr. Weah, who has a very huge following, I’m told, was the best justification to achieve his objective. And working with a few Liberian and US-based CDC stalwarts to include Secretary General Eugene Nagbe and Samuel Tweh, was sufficient to attract Mr. Weah-and surely, it did.

Some members of the CDC were angered by this betrayal of Weah, knowing very well that he (Weah) was the brain behind efforts toward the formation of a grand coalition named COALITION FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE, which germinated from the November 2009 Senatorial By-election that occasioned the emergence of the Chairman of the CDC, Geraldine Doe-Sheriff as winner.

That was even manifested in the issuance of a Joint Communiqué on August 14, 2010 by the very Congress for Democratic Change and three other political parties. At that ceremony, Charles Brumskine and his Liberty party were announced as the new comers in the proposed coalition.

Perhaps being overly ambitious, zealous and obsessed with the Liberian Presidency and knowing that there would be other serious contenders for the political leadership of the coalition who may have over-shadowed him, Cllr. Brumskine chose to go his own way- and his best bet was to run to America to lobby for enough cash to win George Weah over, since he may have thought that Weah was out of cash and not politically experienced.

And true to his thought, it came to pass, and the US$2,000,000.00 deal was struck, leading to the Accra talks between him9Brumskine) and Weah, where the latter accepted-whether in good faith or not, to be Brumskine’s Vice Presidential running-mate in next year’s election.

We must all remember-be it CDCians or not, that Weah had earlier in 2009 in the same Accra, entered into similar agreement with Cllr. Winston Tubman of the Liberia National Union or LINU, and later performed his usual “dribbling skills” so much so that the old man continues to suffer the shock of such “skills.”

Probably after his realization of Nathaniel Barnes’ inability to withstand his “dribbling skills” most especially from the “right extreme” (i.e., Barnes’ lack of the necessary financial capacity), he may have yielded to the whims and caprices of Charles Walker Brumskine.

May be, finally, the deal is done. But Uncle Charley must remember that Weah still has the ability to perform such skills as a utility “political” player. To be continued.