PHOTO: VP Jewel Howard Taylor
By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com
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Liberia’s Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor says the deception within the CDC is responsible for defeats in successive elections in the central Bong County.
According to Madam Taylor, some unnamed stewards have not been supporting the choice of the ruling establishment, although she opted to hide the names of them.
VP Taylor admitted these differences are responsible for the continuous political slaps dating 2018 to present.
She feels if the party must progress in the county, it’s time that they reunion ahead of 2023 General Elections.
Since 2018, the Coalition for Democratic Change has not won any political seat in Bong.
Three elections have been conducted in Bong- two by-elections and a senatorial election; something that opposition political parties have won. There’s only a CDC lawmaker within the Bong’s caucus.
The recent By-election, according to political analyst, has publicly exposed the weaknesses in the CDC to the public; thereby calling for unity.
The recent By-elections across four counties deeply witnessed unexpected results against the ruling establishment despite bankrolling their choices, thus leading VP Taylor to let the cat out of the bag.
“One major observed is that, some of the members of CDC were supporting others, instead of the CDC candidate. This in my mind, was a complete understanding situation. We can’t put up a candidate, then you support another person over our candidate. This shows a lack of commitment and trust in the party,” VP Taylor angrily said shortly after the National Elections Commission through its Chairperson, Madam Davidetta Browne Lassanah had pronounced Mr. James M. Kolleh, PUP as the representative elect of district#2 in Bong County with 4283 (33.28%) votes ahead CDC’s Melvin Salvage 3,882 (30.17%) votes and Independent Candidate, Edward Emmanuel Gboe with 2497 (19.4%) votes across its 22 precincts and 70 polling places in the district.
In Bong County, the Coalition for Democratic Change supported politically hushed Melvin Salvage, Professor Francis Maimwhean of Nimba, Findah Lassana of Bomi and Jeremiah Sokan of Grand Gedeh Counties; except Findah, the three lost; according to NEC’s pronouncement.
The Coalition for Democratic Change entered a political matrimony with the National Patriotic Party (NPP), Liberia People’s Democratic Party (LPDP) and the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) in early 2017 with each political party holding its institutional integrity and supportive of George Manneh Weah’s presidency.
The Coalition, according to sources, matrimony lasts for six (6) years with a renewal clause based on satisfaction.
According to Vice President Taylor, during the by-election, only a few people supported the CDC candidate while the rest chose to publicly support other candidates in the process.
“I need to say the truth like I always do. The process that we were in showed that we were not united. Whenever a house is divided against itself, it will not stand; that is the basic problem we have as a party. There were members in all of the parties- that is, the CDC, NPP and LPDP that supported different candidates. We didn’t come together in one accord,” VP Taylor openly started days after the by-election in the county.
“If we put our house in order and are prepared to work with each other, I believe many more positive things will happen ahead of 2023. I think that is the main problem that we have” she recommended.
The first female Vice President of Liberia however disclosed that “if we remain divided on personal issues, than we will continue to have the issues that we have”.
When contacted, the Congress for Democratic Change Bong County Chairman Sayblee M.V. Weyea said he could not confirm or deny that there is disunity within the Coalition for Democratic Change in the county; but maintained that there are issues within the Coalition.
According to Sayblee, it is clear that the Liberia People’s Democratic Party is not fully active in the county, thus making it another issue within the county.
He feels that if there are disunities, they will go back on the drawing board for settlement, adding that he doesn’t see any of it.
Sayblee further thrashed rumors that the Congress didn’t support the Candidate of the district#2 by-election in Bong.
He stated that the Congress for Democratic Change did a zoning of the entire district and handed it over to the Vice President, but never got the support from the Chairman of the Coalition for Democratic Change, Representative Josiah Marvin Cole.
He then displayed several documents with names of individuals believed to be from the district as evidences.
Chairman Sayblee M.V. Weyea alleged that the Congress for Democratic Change received One Hundred United States Dollars on the eve of the by-election as the only support from the Coalition Chairman, Representative Cole, something he feels was a slap in their faces.
“The day before the election, I was on my kneels begging Hon. Marvin Cole to provide some vehicles, while he was distributing money here and there, but he only gave me 100 USD to buy gas and transport our supporters. That was the only money he gave to us in the entire electoral process,” Sayblee said.
“There is no need for bluff here. We have to be clear that we supported the coalition candidate” he clarified.
The political affairs officer in the office of Representative Josiah Marvin Cole, Eldorado Kermue denied the allegation, and said his boss was in full support of the process.
Despite the issues in county, Sayblee M.V. Weyea believes President George Manneh Weah will obtain landslide victory in Bong in 2023, disclosing that the issues are institutional, not President Weah.
“No matter what, President is our common denominator. As we break into smaller groups, we will not have the actual voice that we need as a county” Sayblee M.V. Weyea added.
Up to press time, this Reporter could not reach any official of the LPDP or its office for a response.