“If the Christmas will be sweet, it will be known from the eve” is a popular saying, which attributes positive or negative forecast on an event based on the situation preceding it. This saying could be aligned with the recent political happenings, with the atmosphere appearing seemingly bright for the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) but dim for the four Collaborating Political Parties (CPP).
Last week, President Weah and his entourage took on the second phase of the nationwide tour, with counties in the Western Cluster—Bomi, Gbarpolu and Grand Cape Mount, which voted against CDC candidates during the December 8, 2020 midterm senatorial election—rousingly receiving the delegation of the CDC government.
President Weah used the opportunity to navigate through the hearts and heads of the residents of those counties as he brought down a firebrand debate against past administrations and his critics. He attracted the attention of lots of people with his quick two-day projects—lighting main streets, dedicating finished projects, breaking ground for new ones and promising more to come.
Whether or not these kingly welcomes were stage-managed, properly organized or exaggerated by the media, the fact remains that President Weah and the CDC scored a good mark in their political endeavor, putting the opposition at least one step behind and on the defensive in terms of projecting results for 2023 general and presidential elections.
However, while the CDC positively climbs the political ladder, influential members of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) are faced with challenges and misfortunes.
The CPP’s Senator-elect of Lofa County, J. Brownie Samukai, since the final results of the election were announced by the National Elections Commission (NEC) has been entangled with court matters. Samukai’s trouble started when the Solicitor General of the Republic of Liberia, Cllr. Sayma Serenius Cephus, filed a petition to halt his participation in the December 8, 2020 election because of criminal charges against him in the courts at the time, but the Supreme Court overruled and cleared Samukai because, according to the court, there was no guilty verdict against him for any crime.
Samukai soon emerged winner of the Lofa County election, but his opponents pursued electoral fraud charges against his victory, which he triumphed over from the level of the NEC, NEC Board and the Supreme Court. However, upon the Supreme Court instructing the NEC to certificate him, the Political Leader of the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC), Simeon Freeman, filed a lawsuit against his certification for being a convicted felon. The case is still in court, as the public awaits the final arbiter of justice in the land.
Henry Pedro Costa, the Founder and Chairman of the Council of Patriots (COP), reportedly the militant arm of the CPP, is undergoing court trial in the United States of America for accusing the Managing Director of the National Port Authority (NPA), Bill Twehway, of murdering or playing a part in the murder of the four auditors in October 2020.
Mo Ali, Secretary General of the Unity Party (UP), was last week accused of arson, terroristic threats and criminal attempt to commit murder. He was later released, but with a condition from the Liberia National Police (LNP) that their investigation continues. This means he does not know whether he is completely a free man or if he will still be called by the LNP for questioning again.
Musa Hassan Bility, Chairman of the Liberty Party (LP), stands accused in the court of public opinion about being an outstandingly corrupt individual. Bility, too, faces court trial from the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) for misappropriating millions of United States dollars.
Also, an in-house trouble lingers in the CPP with the Unity Party (UP) and the Alternative National Congress (ANC) fighting for supremacy. Even though this battle is not between Ambassador Joseph N. Boakai and Alexander B. Cummings, there has been a war of words between their supporters as to who becomes the standard bearer of the collaboration in 2023. The Youth Congress of the ANC terms Cummings as the next President of Liberia while the Youth Wing of the UP claims that a “gay” cannot head the collaboration and, as a matter of fact, the UP is the biggest party within the collaboration.
The Political Leader of the Liberty Party (LP), Nyomblee Karnga-Lawrence, now Chairperson of the CPP, has said that she will take the Collaboration to a convention before her tenure as Chairlady ends. This could end the argument of who becomes the contender of President Weah in 2023, but it could also spark up a breakaway, especially if one of the parties to the collaboration feels dissatisfied with the outcome of the convention. With the trend of events two years to election year, this appears like a bad omen for the CPP.