Claim: “The CDC is no longer a coalition.”
Source: Martin K.N. Kollie
Full Text: On August 23, 2024, Former President George Weah complained to the Liberian government to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for a “dubious” drug raid that led to an “unprovoked” attack on the opposition Coalition For Democratic Change (CDC) headquarters.
Weah alleged that the Boakai Administration violated political freedoms, weakened democracy, and inflamed tensions, targeting the opposition party.
Days after the communication was sent, Martin Kollie took to his Facebook account, claiming that the CDC is no longer a coalition and that it was an error for the former presidents to have communicated in such a capacity.
The Coalition for Democratic Change:
The alliance was certified by the National Elections Commission on 29 December 2016 to contest the 2017 general elections.
The coalition initially consisted of the Congress for Democratic Change, the National Patriotic Party, and the Liberia People’s Democratic Party.
It nominated George M. Weah, leader of the Congress for Democratic Change in 2017, as its presidential candidate.
Weah was elected President in the second round of voting with 61.5% of the vote, while his party (CDC) won 21 of the 73 seats in the House of Representatives.
For the 2023 general election, the coalition expanded beyond its original members to include the Union of Liberian Democrats, the United People’s Party, the Change Democratic Action, and the Movement for Economic Empowerment.
Verification: We contacted officials of the Congress for Democratic Change, one of the constituent parties within the coalition, on the claim.
Jefferson Koijee, National Secretary-General, CDC, said, “I would like to clarify the following points in response to your request: duration of the Coalition Framework Agreement: The Coalition Framework Agreement, which was renewed and signed in February 2023, has a duration of six (6) years.”
He said the agreement would remain in force until February 2029. “Additional political Parties: In line with Article 3, Sections 1 to 4 of the Framework Agreement, six (6) additional political parties joined the Coalition during this renewal, expanding the membership of the CDC.
“Provision for Withdrawal: The Framework Agreement contains provisions for withdrawal, which are outlined in Article 11, Sections 1 to 4. These sections govern the terms and conditions for any party seeking to withdraw from the Coalition.
“Despite the withdrawal of some members, the coalition remains intact under the terms of the agreement,” the CDC Secretary General said.
Koijee further said, “Therefore, the Coalition remains in existence for six years as of 2023, with the agreement set to expire and be subject to renewal in February 2029, regardless of any member withdrawals.”
We requested Koijee to unveil a copy of the framework document and this is what he said: “Thanks. You’ve got my profoundest regards always. I will like to suggest you seek further details at NEC. Thanks again for reaching out.”
Also, we emailed the National Elections Commission (NEC), the institution in charge of supervising and guiding political party activities in Liberia, requesting assistance with the coalition framework document for February 2023. But the NEC has yet to respond. When that happens, we will update this article.
We then contacted Atty. George Mulbah, national chairman of the National Patriotic Party, one of the three founding parties.
Mulbah said a coalition is when two or more parties agree on political terms, like his party and the LPDP.
“We renewed the framework in February 2023, with the anticipation of forming a government until 2029 but since we didn’t win the 2023 elections and two of the three parties withdrew, therefore there is no coalition,” Mulbah claimed.
The NPP chair discloses that the framework gives a voluntary exit to any of the parties.
“One party can’t form a coalition; it has to be two or more and the only way we can be part of the coalition is if we sign a new document and submit it to NEC, but as of now, since three political parties signed the February 2023 framework and two took voluntary exit, there is no more a coalition.”
However, Mulbah failed to disclose that there were more than three parties in the 2023 framework.
We spoke with Augustine Nimely, chairman of Change Democratic Action (CDA), who confirmed that his party is still in a coalition with the CDC. He disclosed that his party signed in February 2023.
We then contacted the current chairman of the CDC, Janga Kowo, who confirmed that even though two of the six parties left, the Congress is still in a coalition with four other parties.
He then shared the coalition’s agreement.
Conclusion: Contrary to Kollie’s claim, our research revealed that the Congress for Democratic Change remains in a coalition (Coalition for Democratic Change) with other parties, excluding the NPP and LPDP.
