Monrovia – The Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia (EFFL), one of the major players in the June 7 Save-the-State protest has drawn a line of demarcation from the Council of Patriots’ recent call for a December 30th Weah Step Down protest.
In a statement, the EFFL urged Liberians to resist recent pronouncement by the Council of Patriots to stage an unending protest beginning December 30, 2019 calling for the resignation of President Weah as President of the Republic of Liberia; describes such action as “Anti-Democratic and Season Hustle”.
Reasons for Rejecting Step Down Protest
The EFFL says on June 25, 2019, it withdrew its support and membership from the COP based on five (5) reasons and up to now still believe that those reasons are sufficient enough to resisting their ‘season hustle’ called protest.
The EFFL cited among other things, COP’s failure to appropriately exonerate the group from allegations of financial malpractices; Disrespect and Wanton disregard for the people’s popular will; Self-Glorification and Popularity seeking; Failure of the current COP Leadership to step down and COP’s Leadership betrayal of Representative Yekeh Kolubah.
The EFFL said as a radical and socialist political institution, it is not against a protest because it is one of the key factors in building a strong democracy but is however against self-interest and politically motivated protests that are organized in the name of the masses without direct benefits to the very masses. “Fellow Citizens, what has been the COP official position regarding the cancellation of the three (3) days calls service by the government of Liberia through Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA)? Is the COP selective on issues because of certain business interest against the ordinary Liberians? These are questions we must ask ourselves and the COP.”
The EFFL statement added that history has proven that politically motivated protest only benefits the organizers and not the ordinary people-the case with the June 7. “More besides, for the past decades in Africa, no struggle aimed at calling for resignation of a sitting President ended well.”
The statement continued: “We have witnessed the death of thousands in other African Countries trying to force out a president. Here are few Countries to reference; Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Sudan and etc. This people’s sensitive driven revolution-the EFFL has been taught to break the chain of ‘Usual Job Seeking’, ‘Haunt for Quick Cash’ and ‘Power Struggle’ under the canopy of the suffering masses. We are reminded everyday by our founding father CIC Julius Malema that violence revolution with the motives of power struggle, job seeking and haunt for quick cash has a bitter ending and we Liberians are not prepared to experiencing such situation in the name of masses struggle.”
‘Dangerous Political Elements’
The EFFL says it sees beyond the normal human eyes what many cannot see which in some instances, is that most of the people that appear to be your voice are not. “They are dangerous political elements who believe only in exploitation. It is no secret that the current Government under ex-soccer legend George Weah is suffering from knowledge deficiency and has shown clearly that his administration lacks the ability to govern a complex environment like Liberia. With the current realties of not paying teachers, health workers, civil servants, national security and many other sectors. Let this be known that the EFFL will/shall not support such Awful, Un-Nationalistic, Self-Pride and Political-Grand-Standing attitudes from any misguided struggle in the name of masses and opposition solidarity against this democratic elected government headed by President Weah.”
The EFF says it anyone is sincere and serious about getting ex-soccer legend out of the presidency, the opposition must now begin to vigorously engage the citizens until 2023 General and Presidential elections or prevail on the opposition lawmakers to prepare the bill of impeachment which will legally be backed by our 1986 constitution. “For us within the EFFL, we are not only fighting against the inappropriate handling of the state of affairs by President George Weah and his band of rookies government officials but also fighting against reactionary elements who usually finds pleasure riding on the ordinary masses to part ways to political power for state looting only because there’s limited opportunity within the private sector. No future Government will go free without experiencing the EFFL radical and unbending positions on those issues that matters to our people security.”
The group explained that some of the faces pretending to be leaders of the opposition have commercial interests and once it is not met or protected by any government. “They become pseudo advocates; some of them have political interest because they feel entitled and once they are not the ones controlling the corridor, they fight back for a space. We must firstly address this issue of eminent leadership crisis within the opposition before thinking about Weah’s stepping down. At the same time, the EFFL as a radical, ideological and revolutionary political institution calls on the four (4) opposition political parties (UP, LP, ANC & ALP) to immediately make her position known on the issue at hand as to whether they support/not the COP SEASON HUSTLE.”
Deeper Analysis About The Step Down
The EFF said if the Council of Patriots argue that President Weah should step down, the next in line is Vice President Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor for the Presidency and knowing the various constitutional steps in terms of occupying vacancy created at Presidency, begs the questions: “Are Liberians willing to see the Ex-President Charles Taylor wife in Jewel Howard-Taylor now Vice President becoming President after Mr. Weah shall have stepped down; Are Liberians thinking about Interims Government? If yes, who are those constituting the interim Government and the expected heads? How far are we with arrangements about our National Security because such struggle should have internal security support?; What is our standing with sub-regional and international organizations?; Are we calling for the entire Government to come to an end? Meaning the legislature as well?”
The organization explained that any revolution of such nature must address all these concerns but not limited to and if not addressed as in the case of the COP, consider such pronouncement as self-seeking and anti-democratic. “Now, therefore, the EFFL as an independent political institution with a clear goal for Liberia strongly condemn, resist and declare such pronouncement as SEASON HUSTLE by a self-style political advocate, hired-guns. Never should we pre-author our democracy and present our country wrongfully to our friends in Africa and the world.”