MONROVIA, Liberia, Wednesday, November 22, 2023: On the heels of an emergency meeting of President George Manneh Weah’s cabinet today, there seems to be continuing bitterness within the ruling Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), days after its defeat to main challengers, Joseph N. Baoakai.
The special meeting, according to an Executive Mansion release, will bring together the vice president, ministers, deputy and assistant ministers, heads of State-Owned enterprises, commissions, and autonomous agencies.
Particularly, today’s cabinet retreat will focus on transitional and other matters of national concern.
Apart from today’s scheduled cabinet retreat, President George Weah, in configuration with recent statement to concede defeat to main challenger Joseph N. Boakai of the Unity party, announced Tuesday, a government transitional team – a move which has been hailed by both local and international partners.
Amidst this path of sustaining Liberia’s democratic credentials of democratic transition, a key member of the CDC lawmaker, Acarous Moses Gray, has revealed that the party mighty likely stage a planned protest and rally over one hundred thousand ordinary citizens on the streets on the inauguration day in January 2024.
Protest on Boakai’s Inaugural Day loomsAccording to Representative Gray, the protest intends to demand the Unity Party Government for the establishment of a War Crime Court, the prosecution of Senator Prince Johnson, and an audit of all past and present government performances.
The defeated CDC Representative on Tuesday, stressed that the CDC’s decision to mobilize a substantial number of citizens for the protest, underscores the urgency and importance of their demand of the war crime court.
According to Representative Gray, the first demand on the CDC’s agenda is the establishment of a War Crime Court, noting that Liberia has yet to address the grave human rights abuses and war crimes committed during the country’s civil wars.
Alongside these demands, the CDC is also calling for an audit of the Weah administration, thus urging President-elect Joseph Boakai and Vice President-elect Jaremiah Koung to allow a comprehensive review of their performance during their respective tenures in government.
President Weah advises Koijee on national affairsThis week, despite President George Maneh Weah conceding to defeat in the just ended runoff presidential in Liberia, a key ally and confidant of the Liberian leader has termed the runoff a ‘fraudulent election’.
The Coalition for Democratic Change through its Secretary-General and current Mayor of the City of Monrovia, said the party maintains it will not condone any form of fraudulent election and disadvantage despite its political leader conceding defeat to former VP Boakai.
The CDC statement come days after the CDC standard bearer and President of Liberia, George Weah sent a congratulatory message to Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party as president-elect.
The National Elections Commission said Ambassador Boakai obtained 814,428 or 50.64% votes while President Weah obtained 793,910 or 49.36% as per the national presidential consolidated tally report.
President George Manneh WeahIn his message over the weekend, the incumbent President urged Ambassador Boakai to focus on reconciling the country following the outcome of the November 14, 2023 presidential runoff elections.
At a news conference Sunday, November 19, 2023 at the party headquarters in Congo Town, CDC Secretary General Jefferson Koijee maintained that the party has some dissatisfaction.
He said although the statement made by President Weah is respected, the CDC as a party has issues with the conduct of the elections in Nimba, Grand Kru and Grand Gedeh Counties.
Koijee believes that some of his dissatisfaction over the President’s unilateral decision is a betrayer of the people’s trust by conceding defeat before announcement of the final results.
He argued that Mr. Weah should have at least informed them about his concession plans.
President George Weah told members of his congregation on Sunday, November 19 that he is not an African President who hijacks elections that cause the death of many innocent people. “I won’t be a part of it,” he said to members and supporters that his defeat in the presidential runoff is a learning curve.
But some members of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) on Sunday expressed their dissatisfaction over the President’s unilateral decision, saying it was a betrayer of the people’s trust by conceding defeat before announcement of the final results.
They argued that Mr. Weah should have at least informed them about his concession plans.
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