Liberia: Our Nation Is in Crisis

Former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has painted a gloomy picture of Liberia one year under Boakai's presidency, saying that grave instability and uncertainty now hang over the country's democracy and economy.

In its response to President Boakai's SONA on Monday, the CDC points out that the nation is in crisis. The state of the country is weak, divided, and polarized.

The former ruling party said this was evident on Monday, when about eight Senators, more than 25 representatives, and the entire Supreme Court bench boycotted President Boakai's SONA, which is deeply troubling.

In the statement, which was read by Margibi Senator Nathaniel F. McGill, a former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs under the George Weah regime, the CDC said Liberia is in decline.

The party noted that democratic and economic gains made in the last six years under their watch are being eroded, noting that it now sees the Unity Party trapped in the very lies they sold the Liberian people to get elected.

"There is too much confusion and disunity in the land. All of these require a spoken response that expresses the raw emotions and feelings of the people during these turbulent times," the CDC said.

Recounting, the party said that in November of 2023, President George Manneh Weah conceded political power to President-elect Joseph N. Boakai. "This concession was made several days before the National Elections Commission announced election results."

"In conceding to President-elect Boakai, President Weah demonstrated an act of supreme patriotism. He broke ranks with Liberia's bitter past of contested elections, often marred by violence and Supreme Court challenges. He signaled the dawn of a new day in Liberian peace and democracy. Where before others believed that the democracy was weak and fragile," CDC continued.

The CDC argued that former President Weah showed that Liberia, too, was capable of democratic and electoral strength being seen in advanced democracies such as the United States, Britain, or Germany. "President Weah handed President Boakai a peaceful country and democracy, a Liberia in which the rule of law was respected, in which no president, legislator, or justice was above the law."

However, the CDC noted that one year after this most peaceful democratic transfer of political power, Liberia now lies in a democratic and rule of law mess.

"The Unity Party administration of President Boakai is now teaching the Liberian people that the rule of law has no meaning or no value; that the law is whatever the President and his legislative friends say the law is; that only ordinary common Liberians are supposed to respect and uphold the law while the Unity Party bigshots disregard, disrespect and violate our laws.

Today, opposition personalities and former government officials are being witch-hunted and unjustly imprisoned. Today, the country has both a constitutionally elected speaker and a quote-unquote majority block Speaker who was illegally selected. Despite these violations, the Executive has imposed this illegally selected Speaker upon the Government and people of Liberia while at the same time seeking the resignation of the duly elected Speaker. What a mockery of democracy and the rule of law!" They continue. See full text of CDC response on pages 4&5

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