Liberia: CDC’s Phil Dixon Says Thomas Fallah Selection Was A ‘Mistake’ But Party Calls Him A Deviant

MONROVIA – Atty. Phil Dixon, Acting National Vice Chairman for Legal and Governmental Affairs at the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) refused comment on whether or not he is satisfied with the leadership of his party but confirmed to FrontPageAfrica that the selection of Rep. Thomas Fallah as the Montserrado County Senatorial aspirant has brought massive discontent to the partisans.

Atty. Dixon who served as the Deputy Minister of Labor for Manpower and Human Resource Development shockingly resigned his post a fortnight ago but failed to disclose reasons behind his sudden resignation at the time, thus raising many eyebrows.

Recent developments show that despite being one of the young inspirations in the CDC, Dixon has been unhappy with the manner in which things have been unfolding in the CDC, especially as it relates to the primary process that brought about the selection of Montserrado County District 5 Representative Thomas Fallah as the CDC Senatorial aspirant for the December 8 special election.

When quizzed on the matter, Atty. Dixon said, “It is no secret that massive discontent has marred the conferral of the CDC ticket for Montserrado on Hon. Thomas Fallah. At least one Deputy Minister raised concern and got expelled. A Vice Chair of the party resigned his party post. Another female partisan has announced intention to contest. Thousands of partisans are disenchanted and angry.  My petition to contest represents the actual will of thousands of well-meaning partisans and other citizens of Montserrado.”

Dixon believes the putting Rep. Fallah on the CDC ticket is a mistake that the party would later regret. He wondered he wasn’t afforded the opportunity this time after he was asked to back off the race in 2019 on ground that the party wanted to field a female candidate.

“I feel that the party made a mistake in not placing me on the ticket, a view with which the electorate confirmed, giving the CDC our first ever electoral loss for the Montserrado Senate since being formed. The fact that our today’s slate of 15 candidates contains no female makes me to wonder whether female sentiment then cited was genuine or whether it was simply a convenient tool to get me excluded,” he said.

Prior to that election which brought Abraham Darius Dillon to the Senate, Dixon pride himself as the most suited and best qualified to challenge Dillon in the by-election.

At one of his engagements in April 2019, he stated, “Montserrado County is the first county in Liberia; Montserrado County must be first in examination and analysis, and we need somebody with experience, tested experience of working in various branches of government.”

He added: “I am privileged to have worked in two branches of government. My profession consistently causes me to interact with the third branch of government — Judiciary Branch.”

 “It is no secret that massive discontent has marred the conferral of the CDC ticket for Montserrado on Hon. Thomas Fallah. At least one Deputy Minister raised concern and got expelled. A Vice Chair of the party resigned his party post. Another female partisan has announced intention to contest. Thousands of partisans are disenchanted and angry.  My petition to contest represents the actual will of thousands of well-meaning partisans and other citizens of Montserrado.”

– Phil T. Dixon, Former Deputy of Labor for Planning And Human Resource Development

Parting with the CDC?

The undeterred youngster is on a path that many political pundits see as bidding farewell to the ruling establishment. He confirmed to FrontPageAfrica that he would contest the Montserrado County Senatorial election as an independent candidate. His candidature and hopefully subsequent election, he says would bring about generational change as he remains resolute on retaining the principles on which the CDC was founded.

Atty. Dixon: “The context of my involvement in the Senate race reflects generational change, one of the key values on which our party was founded. I wish to retain those values. The party has a moral obligation to do the same and we the masses have the moral right to remind it if it forgets.”

Dixon Petitioned

A group of partisans branding themselves as “Team Dixon” with the aim of petitioning Atty. Dixon to contest the senatorial election stated that the Montserrado remains the seat of political thought and governance for the Republic, requiring its representation by people of exemplary thought, conduct and character.

They stated: “Liberia has for many years remained a nation with great mineral and other resources, but little to show for this God-given abundance; Much, if not all of this contradiction between national prospects and the dismal reality the country has struggled to overcome has been as a result of leadership lacking the fullness of vision, or where some vision is present, the absence of the knowhow required to advance that vision…”

According to Team Dixon, the current young generation can no longer procrastinate and Liberia ca no more defer the historical prerogative requiring the creation of the necessary policy framework for its advancement.

The team added: “This growing wave of contemplation has drawn us to the dynamic personality and workings of the individual we wish to petition today decades of commitment to the spread of knowledge, determination to bring political change, and unrivalled understanding of public policy;

“The time has come for ready leaders, determined and able to accomplish great change for the long-suffering masses of our people;

“The time is ready to petition a true son, a father, a husband, a knowledgeable leader, a man of purpose, someone who does not just possess a record of answers but stands tall with a nature which answers to the greatest questions which face our nation and the world in this current era.”

CDC Montserrado Chapter Reacts

When contacted for comments on the revelations of Atty. Dixon, the CDC Montserrado County Chairman, Atty. Alexander V. S. Saylee, termed Dixon’s assertions “as treacherous insinuations of a deviant partisan”.

Atty. Saylee stated that his CDC colleague my lack understanding of the party’s superior democratic process which which uniquely empowers thousands of delegates who’re custodians of Democratic decision-making.

He alleged that Dixon may be driven by “his urge to benefit from a croaky or corrupt primary system that he had envisaged would breadth life into his dead political quest.”

He added: “Dixon’s desire to be a privileged beneficiary of a handpicked primary candidate to buoy his way to a CDC slot is foolhardy,  instituting greed. The CDC will never indulge such hypocrisy, especially as a celebrated democratic institution.

“Even though, Dixon’s desperate and inordinate ambition for power and privilege is an understandable craving of human endeavor, nevertheless his errant and diehard farce attempting a desecration of party norms, standards and laws in order to illegitimately ascend the power pinnacle at the expense of the party and image, is most unacceptable.”

The CDC Montserrado County Chapter Chairman noted that CDC its recently held primaries (nationwide) were proudly transparent and credible, even by conventional benchmarks, deserving a unique placement in the Democratic history of this motherland; a cherished record other political parties may only dream to accomplish as 25,000 partisans made their decisions.

The process, according to him, led to Thomas Fallah winning the slot with over 14,000 valid votes.

He added: “The Montserrado Chapter Executive Committee of the CDC sternly cautions deviant partisan Dixon to refrain from any further statement that may be a negatively cast aspersion on the profound image and dignity of the CDC. 

“Hence, deviant partisan Dixon is expected to immediately retract his unfounded allegations and conduct himself consistent with the dictates of the rule of law expected of all partisans, stalwarts and leaders of the CDC.”