Published: August 4, 2025
GBARNGA, Bong County - Former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor says Liberia's political opposition is far from dormant and is actively preparing a unified policy roadmap that could pose a serious challenge to the ruling Unity Party in the next election cycle.
"The opposition has a plan," Howard-Taylor said over the weekend during a wide-ranging interview on Super Bongese FM in Gbarnga. "We're putting it together. And in the next year, we'll begin to talk about what we hope to do for the young people in this country, knowing that they make up 60 percent of our population."
Her comments come as Liberia nears the midpoint of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai's six-year term. Howard-Taylor, who served as the country's 30th vice president under former President George Manneh Weah from 2018 to 2024, warned that while the current government is still in its early stages, it must soon begin showing tangible progress or face a national judgment in 2026.
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"Coming into 2026, we will now have to see, what are the projects that they're working on?" she asked pointedly. "What are the major things that the president has brought? What are the new investments that he has brought to the country? This is what we'll be looking at. So I think we should still give them another year."
Howard-Taylor, who also served two terms as senator of Bong County and remains the standard-bearer of the National Patriotic Party (NPP), used the interview to discuss her post-vice presidency life, her party's reorganization, and her views on governance, reconciliation, and political accountability.
"We're Not Dead": The NPP's Next Chapter
Since the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) lost power in 2023, questions have swirled around the future of the NPP, one of the key parties in the alliance. Howard-Taylor was candid about the post-defeat disarray but said the party is actively planning its comeback.
"We've had some hiccups since we left government," she admitted. "There's still a lot of wrangling within the leadership of the party. However, we are looking forward to going to our national convention this December to elect a new corps of officers."
Despite the setbacks, she remained confident about the NPP's future: "The only truly grassroots party in Liberia is the National Patriotic Party. Every county, every district, you will find people still holding their 1997 party cards."
She said the NPP intends to conduct a countrywide re-verification of its members after the convention. "We'll be asking, 'Do you still want to be a member of the NPP?' And we'll document those answers."
"Government Is Continuity": Patience, But Not Forgetfulness
Howard-Taylor urged Liberians to be patient with the Boakai administration, while also reminding them that governance is a relay, not a restart.
"In some countries, when a new president takes over, they abandon everything started by their predecessor. But thankfully, that's not happening here," she said. "We're seeing projects that began during our administration being completed. That's how government should work."
She pointed to the newly completed multilateral high school in Bong County, a project that started under the Weah administration in 2019, as a prime example.
"We fought hard for that school. I wrangled with the Ministry of Education until they gave in and agreed to build it here. It was never about politics, it was about the need."
Still, she took aim at what she described as the Boakai administration's failure to acknowledge the origin of key national projects.
"So the fact is that people want to be praised for things they've done, it's just a normal human feeling. I don't think they should make it seem as if nothing was done in the old government. There were a lot of things done in the old government. They now have a responsibility to push it to the next level. And if you just acknowledge someone, it doesn't kill you, it makes you a father, it makes you a reconciler."
On Corruption: "Everyone Should Account, Not Just CDC"
Responding to ongoing prosecutions of former government officials, Howard-Taylor said she supports accountability, but only if it is done fairly and without political prejudice.
"Some people say it's witch-hunting. But I say it's about time the fight against corruption was brought to the fold," she said.
She pointed out that allies of the ruling party have also been questioned, including suspended LTA chair Abdullah Kamara and former GSA Director Mary Broh, both known Unity Party figures.
"That shows this isn't just a CDC issue," she said. "If you're called, go to court. Clear your name. Because if you don't, that stigma sticks with you and your children."
"Going to court is not an indictment. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty," she added.
On Protests: "The People Are Speaking. Listen."
Turning to the recent protest organized by the STAND Movement, led by former CDC chair Mulbah Morlu, Howard-Taylor said the rally was a legitimate expression of democratic dissatisfaction.
"This was a citizen movement. Regular people were simply saying, 'Times are hard. Enough is enough.' That's their constitutional right."
She warned the Boakai administration not to dismiss such actions as mere noise.
"There weren't 200 people at that protest. There were thousands. That's not something a president should ignore."
She also voiced support for the upcoming August 7 women's protest over the country's deepening drug crisis.
"Every family has been affected. This is not just a Montserrado issue--it's national. We need more rehab centers and recovery programs."
On Bong County: "Reconciliation Requires Inclusion"
Howard-Taylor also addressed reconciliation efforts in Bong County, where divisions remain among local political figures.
"If I, as former vice president, who lost elections, can say the past is the past--then so can others," she said. "But reconciliation has to be inclusive."
She added, "Sometimes it's the exclusion that creates friction. Let's open the space, include all voices, and move forward together."
She dismissed the idea that her presence in local affairs is disruptive, saying, "I will not be a stumbling block. I will contribute wherever I am needed."
"2029 Will Be a Referendum"
Looking ahead, Howard-Taylor predicted that the 2029 election will be a clear referendum on the Unity Party's record.
"In 2029, there will be two blocs, the opposition bloc and the ruling party bloc," she said. "And the people of Liberia will judge."
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She declined to confirm whether she would seek a return to national office but hinted that talks among opposition parties are already underway.
"When the time comes, we'll select a team. It may not be me. It may not be President Weah. But it will be someone who represents an alternative."
She noted that Weah himself had previously stepped aside in favor of Winston Tubman during internal party negotiations, proving that he is not power-hungry.
"That showed leadership. And that same spirit will guide how we move forward as a bloc."
Final Message: "Don't Write Us Off"
Despite the political challenges, Howard-Taylor remains confident that the CDC-led coalition, or a version of it, can return to power.
"In 2017, nobody believed we could defeat the ruling party. But we did," she said. "In 2023, we only lost by about 17,000 votes. That tells you the country is still divided."
She cited a range of Weah-era initiatives, free WAEC fees, tuition-free public universities, infrastructure projects, and job-creating public works programs, as proof that the previous administration delivered real change.
"People are now seeing the physical results of what we did. And they are remembering."
As for her own political future, she said she is not leaving the NPP: "I'm NPP by heart, by soul, by blood. These are dry days, but I believe in seven lean years and seven fat years. We'll be ready."
