Monrovia – The opposition Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) has rejected an invitation from the former ruling Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) to attend a roundtable for opposition political leaders on the grounds that the CDC has predetermined a leadership for the opposition ahead of the 2029 presidential and legislative elections in Liberia.
By Obediah Johnson
CDC invited various opposition political parties, including the CMC, to participate in an Opposition Leaders’ Roundtable scheduled for September 5, 2026, at the Jamaica Resort, outside Monrovia.
But in a letter dated August 28 and addressed to CDC Chairman Atty. Janga A. Kowo under the signature of CMC Political Leader Musa Bility, the CMC says it appreciates the effort to promote dialogue and cooperation among Liberia’s opposition political parties, but it would not attend the gathering for multiple reasons.
Predetermined
The party observed that the scheduled meeting has already predetermined a leadership of the opposition and other arrangements.
“We believe that opposition unity is necessary, and we remain prepared to work with every responsible opposition institution committed to building a credible alternative for the Liberian people. However, opposition unity must be negotiated among equals. It cannot begin with predetermined leadership, authority, or organizational arrangements.”
CMC observed that the invitation from the CDC that the invitation from the CDC goes beyond convening an initial dialogue.
It added that the invitation designates a presiding leader, establishes a National Convening Secretariat, and places that Secretariat under the authority of an already appointed “Lead and Coordinator” of the Opposition Leaders’ Roundtable.
The party noted that these arrangements create the impression that a collective opposition structure and its leadership have already been established before the invited political parties have met, discussed, or agreed to such a framework.
The CMC disclosed that it does not accept this approach.
Agreed process
The party emphasized that it recognizes and respects George Weah as a former President of Liberia and Political Leader of the CDC, and he or the CDC may invite the CMC and other opposition political parties to an exploratory dialogue.
It added that the convening of the first discussion does not confer leadership or coordinating authority over the collective opposition.
The CMC maintained that the host of a meeting may facilitate that meeting, but the leadership of a united opposition must emerge from an agreed process involving all participating parties.
“The CMC will not enter a fixed structure created without its participation. Unity cannot mean that independent political institutions are invited to join an arrangement whose leadership, authority, and operating framework have already been determined.”
CMC maintained that genuine opposition unity must be collectively discussed, developed, and owned.
Call for dialogue
It proposed that a proper starting point should be a preliminary dialogue among the major opposition political parties, meeting as equal and independent institutions.
It noted that such dialogue should establish a process through which the various opposition parties will develop a common assessment of Liberia’s present political, economic, governance, security, and democratic challenges, and clearly identify what has gone wrong in Liberia and agree upon what must never be allowed to happen again.
CMC stressed that such dialogue would also establish the principles, national priorities, and standards that will guide the collective opposition, prepare a clear contract with the Liberian people, setting out what the opposition will defend, what it will change, and what an opposition government will commit itself to delivering.
It emphasized that at the dialogue opposition political party leaders can agree upon a governing framework, decision-making procedures, conflict-resolution mechanisms, and the responsibilities of every participating institution and determine, through an open and mutually accepted process, how the leadership of the opposition collaboration will be derived.
“This process should operate at four interconnected levels. The political leaders should agree upon the broad vision and principles. The national chairpersons should coordinate the institutional process. The secretaries general should develop the operational arrangements. A technical team, comprising an equal number of qualified representatives from each major participating political party, should then draft the proposed framework for consideration, amendment, and final adoption.”
CMC further proposed that only after that framework has been discussed and adopted should any collective leadership, secretariat, coordinating authority, or other office be established.
Not genuine
The party says it cannot accept the invitation from the CDC in its present form as the proposed roundtable does not meet the requirements of an inclusive process intended to build genuine opposition collaboration.
It pointed out that its latest action is not a rejection of opposition unity, but a call for opposition unity to be built correctly, credibly, and sustainably.
The CMC pointed out that if the CDC and the other major opposition political parties agree to reconstitute the proposed meeting as a preliminary consultation among equals, without predetermined collective leadership, coordinating authority, or outcome, it (CMC) will be among the first to take its place at the table.
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