While major opposition political parties struggle with internal wrangling, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has solidified its constituency that led to its victory in the presidential election in 2017, with the three constituent parties: Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), National Patriotic Party (NPP) and Liberia People Democratic Party (LPDP), reaffirming their commitment to work together in the ensuing 2023 presidential and legislative elections.
On Thursday, September 8, 2022, the three political leaders of the coalition: George M. Weah, CDC; Jewel Howard-Taylor, NPP; and J. Alex Tyler, LPDP; as well as the chairmen of the parties: Mulbah K. Morlu, CDC; James Biney, NPP; and Moses Y. Kollie, LPDP; reaffirmed their signatures to the instrument that brought about the Coalition for Democratic Change in 2016 and committed themselves to working together in the upcoming 2023 general and presidential elections.
While some argue that the CDC has lost its political taste with the electorate, especially with the recent pronouncement of designated sanctions on key government officials, others are saying that the party has maintained sanity and political unison, and that this could go a long way in placing the party one step closer to victory ahead of its rivals, many of which are struggling for internal stability.
According to right-view observers, the Collaborating Political Party (CPP), which should have been the force to challenge the CDC in 2023, “has been reduced to one-and-a-half party, with far less political relevance”.
They also argue that the Political Leader of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) is struggling to clear his name from corruption allegation in the United States, while Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe comes to the game on the doctrine of the progressives, whom many Liberians consider “failed politicians”.
The commitment signed by CDC’s constituent parties reads, “We, the leaders, standard bearers and chairpersons of political parties constituting the Coalition of Democratic Change, namely the National Patriotic Party (NPP), the Liberia People Democratic Party (LPDP) and the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC);
“In recognition of the tremendous development gains of the CDC-led government, which remains committed to fulfilling the solemn promises that inspired into existence the Coalition for Democratic Change;
“Whereas, acknowledging the persistent efforts of the CDC-led government in the delivery of basic social services, good governance, genuine national reconciliation, accountability, national infrastructural development, respect for fundamental and inalienable human rights enshrined in the Constitution of Liberia;
“In further recognition of the Weah-led government’s laudable efforts in the provision of employment opportunities for ordinary citizens, especially where it has sustained the delivery of basic social services to our people in many key areas, including healthcare, education and agriculture;
“Realizing that the impressive achievements of the Weah-led government and the enabling democratic space it has ascertained, is a watershed moment for our country, an opportunity we have embraced as a patriotic and institutional imperative to support its continuity;
“Cognizant that our collective support for the re-election of the Weah-led government is in the supreme cause of the great people of Liberia in whose interest the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) is being successfully implemented;
“Now therefore, we the following political parties: Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), National Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Liberia People Democratic Party (LPDP) have agreed to reaffirm our commitment to the Coalition for Democratic Change 2016 agreement; and henceforth reaffirm our commitment to work together in the ensuing 2023 legislative and presidential elections.”