Monrovia – It may be just a matter of time, but the writings appear to already be on the wall that the Collaboration of Political Parties is rapidly disintegrating into a full-scale verbal war that could have already caused irreparable damage amid distrust amongst feuding personalities.
Report by Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]
ALP’s Retaliation Play
Talk Show Host, Henry Costa, took to the social medium Facebook Wednesday, suggesting that disharmony within the CPP could trigger renewed exchanges amongst key figures in the membership of the collaboration. “We have tried to be calm, we even publicly pledged to work toward peace and harmony within the CPP. But it appears that some people within the ranks of the CPP have deemed our civility as a sign of weakness.
For now, the opposition collaboration finds itself in a similar position as the ruling party: backs stacked against the wall and running out of time to put their acts together; while struggling to keep Liberians believing in the CPP’s formation, engaged but eclipsed by the sad realities of Liberia’s opposition history, one with very limited success of staying together – even with everything to lose.
You are dead mistaken. Yesterday’s press conference by the Youth Wing of the ANC in which they attacked my Political Leader was very wrong and ill-advised. And we will NOT tolerate it. This is our final warning. Leave us alone or face your nightmare,” Mr. Costa said.
Mr. Costa’s comments come barely 48 hours after a group claiming to be under the banner of the Youths for the Alternative National Congress(ANC) called a press conference to announce its withdrawal from the party and support of the ANC political leader Mr. Alexander Cummings.
The ANC youth wing, holding its own news conference Tuesday struck back, condemning the group operating under the banner of the Cummings Youth Movement as agent provocateurs of failed and crumbling political parties and bipolar of mischievous politicians, attempting to regain their lost relevance in the Liberian political space. “Few elements of the group deceptively made the country to believe that they were in support, membership or allegiance to the ANC political leader. We want to categorically state that at no time in our party has a group with such aim been vetted, recognized or certificated as an auxiliary under National Youth Congress – or any others.”
The ANC youth wing explained that in order for anyone or group to be a youth auxiliary in the ANC, they must undergo a vetting process and given an accreditation letter by the youth congress committee on auxiliary and approved by the chairman of the ANC. “We are openly challenging the so-called group to present a letter of accreditation signed by me T. Benjamin Myers or any of my predecessors to substantiate their legitimacy within the ANC.”
The ANC youth wind described the group under its name, as a band of managed pedestrians who have been seen around its party headquarters begging for alms and begging to be accredited as an auxiliary of the party.
“These so-called born here, die here hustlers and godfathers of warlord businessmen are bent on sowing seeds of discord in the opposition community to try an impose another era of looting public resources against the Liberian populace for their personal benefits.”
The ANC youth wing said the group’s only intent was to besmear, defamed and blackened the reputation of its political leader, Mr. Alexander Cummings and ruined his chances of winning the ensuing 2023 presidential elections.
The ANC youths alarmed that the same characters were at one time a Brumskine Youth Movement, later formed a group for Senator Oscar Cooper, the Oscar Group Movement. After that the flip-flopped to Nuquay, Nuquay Conscious Youth Movement.
Seeds of Discord from CDC Youths
“Mr. Urey is noted for abusing young people and turning them into child soldiers and combatants as he did during the regime of former president Charles G. Taylor. He now wants to embark on a similar endeavor of using young people like the Cummings Youth Movement to destroy the sanctity the CDC created in the opposition and turn them into possible child soldiers. As we speak, information in our domain suggest that the act of Mr. Urey sponsoring those young people against Mr. Cummings is because he, Urey and Mr. Boakai have asked Mr. Cummings to purchase arms and ammunition to create instability in the country. But Cummings has refused to yield to such request and he Urey and Boakai are calling Cummings Traitor.”
Youth League, Congress for Democratic Change
Ironically, the youth wing of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change(CDC), a day later, held its own news conference in which it made some startling accusations regarding the ALP leader, Urey and former Vice President Joseph Boakai.
The league also threw pointed jabs at both Mr. Costa, describing him as a “Rabies Dog” and Rep. Yekeh Korluba as a “Mad Dog”. “Over the period, mad dog Yekeh Korlubah and rabies dog Costa have taken it upon themselves to continuously rain insults on the presidency. Thus, disrespecting the populous mandate of the people and traditional mandate associated with the presidency. Rabies Dog Costa has gone viral with concocted lies from one angle to another, since his station was legally closed after deferring the government of taxes.”
The ruling party’s youths went as far as accusing Messrs. Urey and Boakai of trying to overthrow the CDC-led government. “The Youth League’s attention has also been drawn to the gross political insincerity in the opposition community which includes Benoni Urey and Joseph Nyumah Boakai. Mr. Urey under the instruction of Boakai has paid few young people under the banner of Cummings Youth Movement to rain insults on Mr. Cummings and term him as a self-seeking individual.”
The youths said while they do not support Mr. Cummings and his political ambition, it frowns on the distorted practice in the opposition which is contrary to the CDC when we were in the opposition. “The mighty CDC has left an exemplary blueprint while in the opposition and cannot sit ideally and allow the constructive opposition legacy she set be derailed by power greed individuals.”
‘Overthrow’ & ‘Child Soldiers Claims
The youths accused the ALP leader and former president Boakai of derailing Liberia’s peace.
“Too much is at stake over our national governance under the current regime, and our country and people look with hopes to us. We should not and must not fail them!”
Senator Abraham Darius Dillon(Liberty Party, Montserrado County
Said the statement: “Mr. Urey is noted for abusing young people and turning them into child soldiers and combatants as he did during the regime of former president Charles G. Taylor. He now wants to embark on a similar endeavor of using young people like the Cummings Youth Movement to destroy the sanctity the CDC created in the opposition and turn them into possible child soldiers. As we speak, information in our domain suggest that the act of Mr. Urey sponsoring those young people against Mr. Cummings is because he, Urey and Mr. Boakai have asked Mr. Cummings to purchase arms and ammunition to create instability in the country. But Cummings has refused to yield to such request and he Urey and Boakai are calling Cummings Traitor.”
The ruling party’s youths denounce what it termed “hidden plans” by Mr. Urey and Mr. Boakai to create instability in Liberia through undemocratic means and caution both political leaders to respect the populous mandate of the Liberian people.
The accusations come just days after both Mr. Urey and Mr. Cummings were engaged in a heated exchange amid reports distrust and ego-tripping within the CPP leadership.
Both men moved to calm the nerves of their respective supporters by holding a meeting the day after going public with their feud.
While the pair discussed building on the alliance of political parties, tension amongst supporters of both camps have since heightened.
Mr. Urey has publicly expressed his desire to support VP Boakai as the CPP candidate in the 2023 elections and threw pointed jabs at Mr. Cummings readiness to lead. “People usually elect people who have worked in government. You don’t elect people who just come from a country and come to another country and want to be president. You elect people based on their experience and based on their reputation. And I think of the 3 candidates, Joe Boakai has the most experience; Joe Boakai has stood the test of time, and he’s a relatively decent person.”
Mr. Cummings, responded by accusing Mr. Urey of trying to distort his image. “For anyone to now try to paint me as something I have never subscribed to in my professional and political life is pathetic, absurd and raises questions about their motives.”
Flying Egos & Distrusts
With egos flying all over the collaboration, many political observers are beginning to fear that the once promising alliance may be headed toward a bust, bearing some miraculous intervention.
Senator Abraham Darius Dillon(Liberty Party, Montserrado) was hopeful but cautious Wednesday that the CPP was slowly gravitating away from the objectives for which it was formatted. “When we envisioned the CPP idea, it was never meant to promote or ordain any particular person or party over the others. It was meant to pull together under one tent for the common good. It was an effort at bringing opposition political parties of like-mind under one tent, espousing the same sets of values and principles; to constructively engage with the Govt by cooperating where necessary and holding Govt’s feet to the fire where necessary.”
Senator Dillon said, part of the idea was to put together a reasonable, agreeable framework and set the ground rules to select candidates of the CPP for national elective positions. “The framework and ground rules would set the conditions and requirements to qualify candidates on the CPP tickets – Presidential and/or Legislative – to provide the proper leadership of our country – with no preferential treatment toward any one person or party. We envisioned that the process would be impartial and opened to ALL; and that those that would compete and win, would be OUR Candidates!!!”
Senator Dillon: ‘Too Much at Stake’
With egos flying all over the collaboration, many political observers are beginning to fear that the once promising alliance may be headed toward a bust, bearing some miraculous intervention.
For the immediate future, the Senator said is hoping that the CPP hierarchy can concentrate on building upon these ideas and place all its effort into concluding the framework for signing by the Collaborating Parties to legally bind them together going forward. “This, to me, is more important to our partisans and supporters and would inspire their hopes and aspirations. I believe this will attract the attention of our international partners as well. This would demonstrate our seriousness, growth and maturity. Anything short of this, I am sorry; and I do not wish to be sorry.”
But even amid recent by-election losses where candidates of the collaboration lost, cooler heads have failed to prevail leading many to suggest that despite the ruling CDC’s vulnerabilities, the once-promising alliance appears at least for now to be struggling to swallow their egos and seize the day.
As the clock ticks toward the 2020 Mid Term elections, it is becoming increasingly likely that individual candidates from parties within the CPP could begin exploring races outside the collaboration, a move that could resurrect similarities of recent losses in Cape Mount and Montserrado, in what could be a prelude to the 2023 presidential and general elections.
For Senator Dillon, who’s also up for re-election next year, the stakes have never been higher. “Too much is at stake over our national governance under the current regime, and our country and people look with hopes to us. We should not and must not fail them!”
Whether his peers and the CPP leadership feels the same, remains to be seen. For now, the opposition collaboration finds itself in a similar position as the ruling party: backs stacked against the wall and running out of time to put their acts together; while struggling to keep Liberians believing in the CPP’s formation, engaged but eclipsed by the sad realities of Liberia’s opposition history, one with very limited success of staying together – even with everything to lose.