MONROVIA – The Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) has withdrawn from the opposition coalition process convened by former President George Manneh Weah, less than three weeks after the party’s political leader, Rep. Musa Hassan Bility, sat at the table with other opposition leaders in Paynesville.
By Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]
In a statement issued Thursday, September 24, and signed by National Chairman James M. V. Yougie, the CMC said it has formally informed Weah and the other political leaders who attended the September 6 Opposition Political Leaders Forum that it will not endorse the current draft communiqué or remain in the process leading to the proposed coalition.
The party said the decision followed a review of the draft by its National Executive Committee, National Advisory Council and Diaspora Leadership, which concluded that the arrangement, in its current form, does not reflect the objectives for which the CMC was founded.
At the heart of the CMC’s objection is what it describes as the absence of a binding reform program. The party said any coalition seeking public confidence must first agree on changes to the country’s system of government, institutions, laws and political culture, including constitutional reform, institutional independence and transparent leadership.
“Liberians should not be asked to choose only between continuing the present order and returning to the immediate past,” Bility said in the statement. “Our country deserves a new option built around a new governing system and a serious program of national reform.”
The CMC said it will instead continue national consultations with citizens, civil society groups, community leaders and like-minded parties toward what it calls a “broad national third lane.”
The party stressed that its decision “does not close the door” to opposition cooperation. It said it remains willing to work with other opposition parties on electoral integrity, the rule of law and public accountability, and is open to future political cooperation in which every party is treated as an equal and decisions are reached through transparent consultation and consensus. The CMC also said its position should not be read as a personal criticism of Weah or any other participating leader.
A reluctant participant from the start
The withdrawal is not entirely a surprise. Before the forum, Bility had objected to how it was structured. In an August 28 letter to CDC Chairman Atty. Janga A. Kowo, he said the CMC appreciated the effort to promote dialogue among opposition parties but would not attend, arguing that opposition unity cannot begin with predetermined leadership and authority. He specifically questioned provisions designating a presiding leader and establishing a National Convening Secretariat under an already appointed coordinator.
Bility later reversed course and attended the meeting. At a press conference afterward, he welcomed the gathering, saying the focus should remain on ordinary Liberians and describing the goal as uniting to rescue them from the “so-called rescuers” — a reference to the Unity Party’s campaign slogan.
The September 6 forum
The forum was held at the Jamaica Resort in Thinker’s Village, Paynesville, four days after Weah returned to Liberia. Attendees included ANC Political Leader Alexander B. Cummings, Bility, MPC Political Leader Simeon Freeman and MOVEE Political Leader D. Maxwell Kemayah, along with senior CDC officials including former House Speakers J. Alex Tyler and Bhofal Chambers. Benoni Urey’s All Liberian Party was also represented.
Under the agreement reached there, each participating party was to nominate two representatives to a steering committee responsible for drafting a framework document defining the principles, structure and mechanisms of cooperation. Participants stressed that the initiative was not an electoral alliance or an agreement on a presidential ticket for 2029.
The push came amid sharp opposition criticism of the Boakai administration. The CDC had described President Boakai’s August 26 national address on the rule of law as “dishonest and nefarious.” On his return, Weah said the opposition has an obligation to speak collectively and argued the country is moving in the wrong direction under the Boakai administration.
The effort has also exposed divisions elsewhere. The National Patriotic Party suspended three senior partisans for allegedly using the party’s official letterhead to endorse the roundtable. Unity Party Secretary General Amos B. Tweh dismissed the gathering as posing no serious threat to the ruling party or to President Boakai’s reelection prospects.
The shadow of the CPP
The CMC’s exit revives memories of the last major opposition alliance. In February 2019, the Unity Party, ANC, ALP and Liberty Party formed the Collaborating Political Parties, which won six Senate seats in 2020 before a September 2021 dispute over its framework document triggered its collapse. The ALP walked out in December 2021, the Unity Party followed in February 2022, and a Liberty Party faction left the next month. The remaining Cummings-Brumskine ticket won 1.61 percent of the presidential vote in 2023, and the CPP formally dissolved in April 2024.
The CMC itself is a young party. Bility, who represents Nimba County District 7, founded it in March 2025 after resigning from the Liberty Party in September 2024.
Support Independent Journalism
Your support helps FrontPage Africa continue delivering independent, credible, and impactful journalism. Every contribution strengthens our ability to investigate, inform, and hold power accountable while keeping quality journalism accessible to our readers.
Support our journalism or subscribe to receive the latest FrontPage Africa stories and updates.
