Monrovia — An inter-party consultative meeting organized by the former governing Unity Party (UP) for opposition political parties in Liberia has reportedly backfired following heated exchanges between two senior executives from the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) and the UP on the social media.
It can be recalled that on Wednesday, December 7, the opposition UP convened an inter-party consultative meeting with opposition political parties at its national headquarters to deliberate on matters related to national elections, census, and other issues of mutual interest.
A statement issued in Monrovia quoted officials of the UP as saying in their opening statements, that the meeting was part of efforts to create a platform for opposition political parties to consult frequently and collaborate on issues around the 2023 presidential and legislative elections.
The meeting was particularly focused on the need to form common position on the National Elections Commission's procurement of biometric materials, elections timetable and the ongoing seemingly disorganized census process.
Representatives of various opposition parties who attended the meeting were: the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC), Liberty Party (LP), Rainbow Alliance (RA), All Liberian Party (ALP), and National Democratic Coalition (NDC).
Others are: Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Liberia Restoration Party (LRP), Liberian People Party (LPP), People's Restoration Party (PRP) and the Unity Party (UP).
But heated argument ensued between UP Secretary General Amos Tweh and the acting Chairman of the New Deal Movement (NDM), Kaydor Saidy-Bah while the meeting was being convened.
The NDM contested the general and presidential elections of Liberia in 2005. George Klay Kieh, Jr. and his running mate Alaric Tokpa won 0.5% of the votes. The party won three seats in the House of Representatives.
The New Deal Movement is one of the political parties that make up the opposition National Democratic Coalition (NDC). Other parties that are part of the NDC include: the Free Democratic Party (FDP), the Majority Party of Liberia (MAPOL) and the National Democratic Movement for Industrial Change (NADMIC), among others.
In social media exchanges, Mr. Bah questioned the rationale behind the decision taken by the UP to convene a meeting with opposition political parties after withdrawing from the CPP.
He claimed that the UP is opposed to collaboration ahead of the 2023 general and presidential elections.
He vowed to make public documents to substantiate that the UP took a decision not to form part of any collaboration or alliance in the country.
However, Mr. Bah failed to provide the evidence on the social media.
"Why should the party (UP) be calling others to such meetings? I told our Chairman in the NDC not to attend. If he did, then it's his personal wishing. I am the acting Chairman of the New Deal; just so you know. So, we as a party told him not to. I am the official spokesman until the Chairman gets back to work."
"Amos Tweh, I'm speaking from an informed position. Your party decided that as it left the CPP, it would not join collaboration. I have written document to this effect. If you want us to discuss further, I can continue. Better still, just let the sleeping dog sleep."
He stressed that any other political party; including the Free Democratic Party (FDP) that are also part of the NDC and attended the UP called meeting, went there unilaterally, adding that, "we can deal with that (party) in our closet within the NDC."
Mr. Bah added: "I am speaking as an authority from the New Deal Movement. My party gave me the mandate and I conveyed. I have a choice to use language befitting. You shouldn't determine what I say as acting Chairman of the New Deal Movement."
For his part, UP Secretary General Amos Tweh denied that the former ruling party was opposed to a collaboration.
According to him, the UP remains open to form merger or enter an arrangement to form a coalition to defeat incumbent President George Manneh Weah who is seeking re-election.
"KaydorSaidy-Bah, this is misleading, we are not opposed to collaboration. UP is open to partnership with political parties. We are already in one and very much open to collaborating where necessary. We may disagree with your ideal collaboration; it doesn't mean we oppose."
Issues discussed at the meeting
At the inter-party consultative meeting organized by the UP, political parties successfully deliberated and carved out important concerns in relations to the procurement of biometric materials, election timetable and the apparent internal skirmish at the NEC, all of which will be raised in the scheduled IPCC meeting which reported took place on Thursday, December 8.
On the important subject of census, the opposition parties agreed to used appropriate platforms that involve the participation of partners to channel relevant concerns.
At the close of the meeting, parties agreed to frequently meet as part of a confidence building process and collaborate where necessary on technical subject matters affecting elections preparations.
Representatives of other political parties present at the meeting acknowledged the initiative and welcomed the establishment of a technical working group with the objective to collaborate on issues of shared interest and work as a team in the lead up to the 2023 elections.
Opposition divided?
With the latest issue raised by the NDM acting Chairman, it appears that the outcome of the just ended meeting between opposition political parties may not yield fruitful results if disenchantments are not settled in a timely manner.
The UP was reportedly asked to join the NDC following its withdrawal from the CPP. But no decision has been taken by the party in that direction.
Currently, there exists a high level of division among major opposition political parties in Liberia ranging from power struggle, uncertainty to fuel a presidential candidate, among others.
Ruling party relaxed?
As a result of this, the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) of President George Manneh Weah feels more relax or compel to address numerous constraints confronting Liberia and its citizens by scrupulously implementing its Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).
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With less than a year to the climax of the first term of President Weah, the full actualization of the PAPD remains a charade.
It remains visible on paper, but its full implementation has not come to fruition.
The ruling party does not seem to be eager or anxious to engage into activities or initiatives that would reawaken or guarantee its re-election due to the disorganized manner and form in which opposition political parties are presenting themselves to Liberians, especially the electorates.
The popular Liberian maxim "it's good to be with the devil you know, than the Angel you have not seen," may come to fruition during the conduct of the 2023 general and presidential elections if leaders of opposition political parties failed to put aside their egos and self-aggrandizement for the sake of the nation and its people.
Liberians are yielding for a change in national leadership due to the growing wave of extreme poverty, hardship, economic constraints, bad governance, insecurity, bad governance, and other societal ills that continue to strangulate the improvement of their wellbeing as compared to their counterparts in other countries and the infrastructural development of the nation.
Despite the citizens' anxiety to elect new leaders, the current breeds of opposition political leaders in the country are yet to convincingly "do things differently" to win the minds and hearts of the electorates, many of whom are already illiterate, ahead of the elections.
