In Liberia, ARREST Agenda is to the Unity Party manifesto as Pro-Poor Agenda is to the policy of the Coalition for Democratic Change; seemingly, a social contract Liberians are holding the current governing UP accountable to deliver in steering the affairs of the state for six years. Likewise, the citizens held the former governing CDC accountable during its regime to live up to its policy in routing the state of affairs for six years.
In four successive nationwide elections, the UP and CDC have gone for run-off presidential elections which the UP had won three while the CDC had won one. Electoral statistics indicate that the UP won presidential run-off elections against the CDC in 2005, 2011 and 2023 while the latter won the former in 20 17.
Since the collapse of Congo political hegemony on April 12, 1980, which ended the True Whig Party as the only governing party in Liberia for decades, it is only the UP that has been defeated in elections to make a comeback, evidenced by the 2023 presidential and legislative elections which ousted the CDC from state power.
However, the UP victory was very slim and political analysts say the elections’ results indicate that the country is greatly divided and it seems this is a rare challenge for the regime to overcome by uniting the governed, void of political sentiments.
Yet, when the so-called one party system was dislodged as a result of the 1980 military coup, Liberia has experienced proliferations of political parties that are commandeered by deep-pocket politicians who seek occupation of the country’s highest seat. They pursue their objectives by hugely investing in political activities to win the populace over for votes.
The CDC, UP Carp
The then Congress for Democratic Change- now Coalition for Democratic Change and the Unity Party had since 2005 overshadowed Liberia’s political space for control over state power.
The CDC spent twelve years as leading opposition party to UP when Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was President while Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Boakia- now President, was Vice President. The CDC felt cheated at the polls and used to protest but calm returned most often.
For UP, when it slipped off the power in 2017, it kept its share of the political pressure during the six years of the CDC regime. The UP strategized to ensure that the CDC only has one term while it prayed to make a comeback in 2023.
During its six years of opposition, the UP suffered eviction from its Congo Town national headquarters due to rental arrear. There were insinuations that the then governing CDC was underground influencing the McClain Family to evict the party. However, there was no evidence to prove the claim.
Now out of power, CDC is crying fouls, accusing the governing Unity Party of witch hunt and political machinations. Just close to the end of August, the famous national headquarters of CDC was bulldozed, reportedly through court order prayed for by the Bernard Family. The former governing party has pointed accusing fingers at the UP Government for being behind the eviction order from the court. Though there is no evidence, Cdecians and other critics of the regime have attributed their claim partly to the reported jubilation of Upists for the demolition carried out by earth-moving equipment in recent weeks to bring down structures at the CDC now former headquarters.
Die-heart Cdecians and their sympathizers fear that the UP would do everything in its power to destroy CDC in order to go for second term as it was in the case of Madam Sirleaf’s regime. The political battle seems to be endless as CDC continues to push UP in extreme heat to be exposed and dislodged in 2029.
On the overall, Liberia continues to come under the shackle of deepened division, seemingly afar from genuine reconciliation, unity and mutual respect to sustain a rebirth of a war frayed country.