The Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) has alarmed and called international attention to the lawlessness and dangerous display and brandishing of assault rifles by suspected CDC militias and state securities who wore political paraphernalia during its so-called petition ceremony of President George Weah in Monrovia.
CPP, in a statement issued, on Monday, February 6, said, “These gangster-looking individuals wore CDC insignias and political paraphernalia, including T-shirts, which made them indistinguishable from CDC militias and state security.” The CPP said it is deeply disturbed by these developments, and they are signs of dangerous things to come.
“If these rifle-carrying individuals were CDC militias, the CPP demands an explanation and independent investigation on how they got such weaponry in a political gathering, and why were they allowed to exhibit assault riffles in such threatening public manner,” CPP said.
“The CDC cannot, and will not, permit any act of intimidation and threat of peaceful Liberian citizens in such belligerent and hostile manner. Party militias must never be permitted to act as and with the authority of state securities,” the statement cautioned.
CPP said, however, if the rifle-toting persons are state security it calls for their immediate suspension, investigation and prosecution, as state security personnel should not be allowed to wear political attires while carrying out their national security duties. “It is totally unacceptable to turn state security into personal militias to the President, city mayor or the ruling party,” CPP said.
The Collaborating Political Parties noted that over the past five years of President Weah’s failed administration, Liberia has seen the breakdown of law and order and public display of false impression that the President and his officials are above the law.
The CPP said public officials’ refusal to obey the law, as well as the breakdown of professionalism in, and public trust of, state security institutions, as was the case when the carrier of a state weapon is encouraged to wear partisan T-shirt of a political group—such individual undermines the neutrality of the state security forces in political competition and discourses.
CPP said these acts of blatant disregard of the law endangers and undermines the nation’s peace, security and democracy.
“For six years state security forces have morphed into a hostile partisan force against peaceful citizens and critics of the government,” the opposition group observed.
CPP disclosed that it is deeply concerned that the lawless display on Saturday, February 4 at the CDC petition charade appears to have been sanctioned by the President.
The statement said while the CPP condemns these and other lawless activities, as Liberians move to elections to end President Weah’s six years of misrule, it calls on the international community to condemn such lawless behaviors which are signals of a weak and increasingly unpopular President and an attempt to undermine national security, the rule of law and risk the peaceful transfer of power in Liberia.
CPP said despite massive wasteful spending of taxpayers’ money, and hijacking, with huge media blitz and billboards displayed by the President and other campaign materials and lies, the CDC gimmick attracted less than two percent of Liberia’s eligible voters nationwide.
CPP said the low turnout at the CDC political charade has sent a clear and strong signal to President Weah and CDC that the vast majority of Liberians have given up on his six-year failed and leaderless presidency. “They see him as the man responsible today for their suffering as well as the massive stealing in government and the gross mismanagement of the country’s resources,” the CPP statement said.
“Accordingly, the Liberian people rejects his lies and 419 leadership even as he allegedly spent over US$3.5 million plus free rice and T-shirts, and offered free transportation to Liberians to attend his so-called petition ceremony on Saturday, February 4,” CPP said.
The statement concluded that February 4, 2023 will be remembered as the beginning of the democratic end of the one-term failed and leaderless presidency of George Weah and his band of thieves.