ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2022 the Monrovia City Mayor, newly elected Secretary General and former Youth Chair of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), Jefferson Tamba Koijee, accused Ambassador Lewis Brown of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) of planning chaos on December 17, 2022—a few days to Christmas Day. Koijee made the allegation at the CDC party’s headquarters in Congo Town during a press conference presenting officials elected from the 7th congress of the CDC, held on November 21, 2022.
THE MONROVIA CITY Mayor told reporters that, according to his informers, Ambassador Brown allegedly held a secret meeting on Wednesday, November 30 to plan for the protest on December 17, under the caption, “The Suffering Must End”. Mayor Koijee struck public conscience when he said that the gathering, as planned by Brown, will not be peaceful and is allegedly intended to undermine the peace of the country. He used the occasion to warn Ambassador Brown that gone are the days when such tactics were used by Brown and his likes to cause conflict in the country.
ACCORDING TO KOIJEE, Liberians are not prepared anymore to go back to the dark days of conflict that bring untold suffering to the citizens. He emphasized that CDC maintained the peace of the country for 12 years while serving in the opposition, and therefore ANC should also maintain the peace as well.
HOWEVER, RESPONDING TO Mayor Koijee’s criticism in his announcement of the planned mass rally, Brown said the rally will be led by the CPP, a party headed by Alexander B. Cummings and once seen as the major contender against the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). He said the peaceful rally of Liberians will bring together parties, groups and individuals from all walks and stations of Liberian life seeking to express the suffering of the people of Liberia.
HE UNDERSCORED THAT Liberians are tired suffering, noting that the echoes are everywhere; as such, they have a duty to help them peacefully express this to the Weah administration, which they will happily do.
THE FORMER INFORMATION minister pointed out that the upcoming rally is not for those who are not suffering. “We do not expect that they will like it or be happy that those who are tired suffering want to be heard. However, we expect that those with the duty to protect those who are tired suffering and wish to peacefully express it will faithfully and honorably do their jobs. We expect that they will protect all Liberians, especially on December 17,” he added.
AMBASSADOR BROWN DECLARED the rally, “We Tiyah Suffering”, a plea to President Weah’s “failed, wasteful and disappointing” administration to care about what the Liberian people are living through and feeling every day, and a cry for the President and his administration to be more accountable and stop being wasteful.
AMIDST THE WORD-RIFT between the government and Lewis Brown concerning the rally and its intention, the Minister of Justice and Acting Chairman of the Cabinet, Cllr. Frank Musah Dean, Jr., has approved and granted clearance to the planned December 17 political rally to be held within the outside space of the Samuel K. Doe Complex by the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) and other political and civil groups.
IN ADDITION TO the approval, Minister Dean has directed the Liberia National Police (LNP) to provide the necessary protection for the citizens who will assemble on that day. In a letter to the Deputy National Secretary General of the CPP, Martin Saye Kollah, Minister Dean said approving the rally was consistent with Article 17 of the Constitution, which guarantees, “All persons, at all times, in an orderly and peaceable manner…the right to assemble and consult upon the common good, to instruct their representatives, to petition the government or other functionaries for the redress of grievances and to associate fully with others or refuse to associate in political parties, trade unions and other organizations.”
THE APPROVAL OF the Ministry of Justice and the presence of the Liberia National Police (LNP) send out the signal of law and order to the public, which tends to lay to rest any concern that the protest may eventually run contrary to the peace, public safety and security of the nation.