Liberia’s ruling party, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has taken a leap to avoid potential violence that would usually occasion political parties holding rallies within the same timeframe by postponing the petitioning ceremony of President George Manneh Weah for the second term come 2023. The party’s National Chairman, Mulbah K. Morlu announced at a news conference on the weekend of Friday, December 9, 2022 that the decision was borne out of a request from President Weah for the postponement of the petitioning ceremony given the fact that the opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) has elected to hold a rally and the festive season is at hand.
The ruling party’s National Chairman indicated that as a party with the unbridled commitment of upholding the peace of the country in spite of myriad provocations, the CDC will not gamble its stance against violence for any reason even when hit on the cheek.
According to him, the party also took cognizance of the fact that the festive season would see a lot of movements of people. So, he added that holding the petitioning ceremony that would overcrowd the streets and impede the smooth movement of people is of critical concern to the party’s Standard bearer and the National Executive Committee (NEC).
He stressed that the request for postponement was debated for several hours before it was agreed upon for consideration since the various constituencies were already mobilized to come out in their numbers to overwhelmingly petition President Weah to seek re-election.
CDC Chairman Morlu pointed out that while the petitioning ceremony is postponed, the party will host Christmas party for children across all electoral districts as a way of making sure that the Christmas festivities are enjoyed by everyone not just adults.
For his part, CDC National Secretary General, Jefferson Tamba Koijee said the ruling is not paranoid about the opposition rally but bemoan “the deliberate deception by former officials of government leading the rally to present themselves as saviors of the people they marginalized a few years ago.”
“Yesterday’s victimizers are claiming to be victims of the plunder the ignited on the ordinary people that the Coalition for Democratic Change led government is working assiduously to fix and tremendous marks have been made to wit,” he maintained.
He emphasized that it is only hypocrisy and deception that would allow the former Security Advisor to jailed former President Charles Taylor and the former Executive Director of the National Investment Commission under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to say ‘they’re tiya suffering’.
The CDC Chief scribe argued that if Liberians are not satisfied with what President Weah has achieved in record time, the best place to go express their satisfaction is at the ballot box not through protest with the potential of plunging this country into chaos given the records of the organizers.
The ruling party says it will hold the planned petition will take place in February 2023.
