Amid the growing demand for support from partisans and sympathizers of political parties in Liberia to get things done, a growing concern remains: 'How important are the partisans after taking charge of efforts to ensure success for parties or politicians is realized each?'
When Liberia's political season heats up, the country's streets, communities, and media platforms become battlegrounds of enthusiasm. Young people march in branded T-shirts, women cook for rallies at dawn, and elderly supporters walk long distances just to show solidarity. They chant, defend, and sacrifice--often at great personal cost. Yet when the dust settles and the victory speeches end, these same partisans are too often left exactly where they started: unemployed, unskilled, struggling, and forgotten.
This troubling cycle is at the heart of a growing national conversation--one given a powerful voice by Anderson Miamen, Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL). In a bold and timely message on his verified Facebook account, Miamen challenges Liberia's political class to confront a long-standing injustice: the systematic use of partisans' energy to secure political power without the corresponding commitment to empower them.
A Pattern of Exploitation, Not Empowerment
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For decades, Liberian politics has revolved around mobilizing crowds and building loyal bases. But as Miamen notes, too many political parties "do a thing or two but nowhere near enough" to significantly improve the lives of the very people who make their success possible. The result is a political landscape where partisan loyalty is rewarded with slogans, rallies, and recognition during campaigns, but rarely with meaningful support afterward.
The sacrifices many supporters make are often invisible to the public. Some lose jobs because of their political alignment. Others endure insults, social exclusion, and even threats. Youths abandon petty trading or schooling during election seasons. Women risk their safety navigating massive rallies. And yet, according to Miamen, the "big shots" who eventually rise to power often contribute less than 20% of the sacrifices these ordinary supporters make. It is a painful irony: those who give the most gain the least.
Political Victory Should Not Be a Zero-Sum Game
Miamen argues that political parties--from the Unity Party (UP) to the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), the Alternative National Congress (ANC), the Liberty Party (LP), and others, owe their supporters more than campaign messages and periodic handshakes. "They owe them investment. They owe them opportunity. They owe them dignity," he argued.
The civil society stressed continued that "When a party wins, it should be a win for all Liberians and those who supported them to get elected." That victory, he continued, should translate into better living conditions, access to skills, education, and lawful economic benefits rather than just for appointed officials or political elites, but for the ordinary men and women who stood firmly behind the campaign.
Why Aren't Political Parties Doing More?
Part of the problem lies in priorities. Political parties readily mobilize millions for campaign rallies, office projects, vehicle purchases, and media engagements. Fundraising for political survival is relentless and organized. Yet when it comes to the welfare of partisans, especially women, youth, and persons with disabilities, effort shrinks dramatically-leaving the underprivileged who sacrifice everything at the base of hopelessness.
According to Miamen, this imbalance reveals a troubling truth: "political parties value the labor of their supporters, but not their long-term wellbeing. The grassroots may be celebrated during election season, but they are scarcely seen once power is secured."
A Practical Solution: The Partisan Support Fund
To address this glaring gap, Miamen has proposed a bold yet practical idea: the creation of a Partisan Support Fund.
Under this model, he said every political leader, especially those holding government positions, would be required to contribute to a national pool, ensuring that an independent body oversees and distribute the funds.
Miamen continued that "The money would support training programs, small business start-ups, scholarships, emergency assistance, and livelihood opportunities for loyal supporters."
He said lawmakers and district officials could also mobilize additional support for their constituencies to bridge the gap of unemployment and skills drained communities.
This approach, he added, would shift political culture from mere use of the masses to actual investment in their respective futures.
The Stakes for Liberia's Democracy
Liberia's democracy thrives when citizens believe that their civic participation leads to collective upliftment. But when political loyalty yields only poverty, marginalization, and broken promises, apathy grows. Young people become disillusioned. Communities lose trust. Democracy weakens. Empowering partisan, Miamen noted, is not charity but a nation-building. "It is an investment in peace, stability, and growth."
As Miamen notes, political parties must give supporters "more reasons to keep believing in their leadership and trusting that things will change for them as well. Supporters are the foundation of Liberia's political system. They deserve to be seen, valued, and empowered--not just during elections, or other political rallies but every day."
A Call to Action
The message from CENTAL's Executive Director is clear:
Liberian political parties must match the energy they use to win elections with the energy needed to uplift the people who make those victories possible.
The young partisans who sleep at a party headquarters to keep watch, the women who cook for campaign teams, the disabled supporters who campaign despite mobility challenges, the elderly partisans who walk miles for rallies--they are the real heroes and heroines of Liberia's democracy.
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"To continue using them without empowering them is not only unjust--it is unsustainable. It is time for Liberia's political leaders to close the gap between political rhetoric and real action. It is time to invest in the people who invest everything in them. It is time to ensure that no partisan is left behind," Miamen concluded.
Current reality: Fundraising to build party headquarters for political parties
Following the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC)'s groundbreaking ceremonies on October 18, 2025, in Congo Town, Monrovia, for the construction of its new party headquarters, the Unity Party has since embarked on its fundraising campaign to claim ownership of a property by purchasing it. CDC, evicted from its party headquarters following court order, is squatting at the district office of former Montserrado District 8 Representative, Moses Acarous Gray.
Partisans, many of whom did not participate at the table in the glorious days of the party (CDC0 from 2018 to 2023, even after campaigns in 2017 to make former soccer legend, George Weah continue to contribute their merger resources for the construction of the new CDC headquarters. The UP's case, like the CDC's remains even more concerning as the party ruled the country for 12 years prior to Weah becoming President and has been in existence for more than 40 years but, without ownership to a property as its headquarters or district office anywhere across the country.
