PHOTO: James Zuannah, Lofa County Education Officer
By J. Peter S. Dennis,dennisrealone@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- Lofa County Education Officer, James T. Zuannah expresses disenchantment over the performances of ruling CDC party in Bong County.
Mr. Zuannah says the party has not been performing over the last three years in this county.
He cited the 2018 by-election they lost to Dr. Henrique Flomo Tokpa, 2020 senatorial election which they also lost to Prince Kermue Moye and the By-election in district#2, a position that James M. Kolleh of PUP has won, among others as political slaps for the CDC in Bong. He wants unity, if they must succeed in 2023.
“We are running the party in the outside, we approach everything with mindset,” he said.
According to the Lofa County Education Officer, the Coalition for Democratic Change is receiving countless political lashes coupled with defeats in Bong County, as a result of numerous dissatisfactions in the minds of electorates. The party has a very good platform, but implementations matter thus far,” he stressed.
“We have forgotten our promises to the people. The people are revenging! There are problems with the party, I must admit. We have to strengthen ourselves by coming on the drawing board ahead of 2023 if we must regain the confidence of the people,” said Mr. Zuannah.
Mr. Zuannah however said that if the disunity continues, he fears President George Manneh Weah’s defeat. CEO officially joined the CDC in 2017, ahead of the presidential and representative elections in Liberia while serving as principal of Dolokelen Gboveh High School in Gbarnga, Bong County.
Background to his outburst
The assertion by Mr. Zuannah comes in the wake of growing confusion within the Coalition for Democratic Change, CDC.
Recently, Liberia’s Vice President Chief Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor attributed the Jorquelleh District#2 by-election defeat to PUP’s James M. Kolleh to disunity in the party.
According to Madam Jewel Howard Taylor, some alleged party stewards didn’t support the choice of the party (Melvin Salvage).
During the process, according to the National Elections Commission, CDC’s Melvin Salvage obtained 3,882 (30.17%) votes finishing runner-up to James’ 4283 (33.28%) votes.
She, like James T. Zuannah, feels if the party must progress in the county, it’s time that they reunion ahead of 2023 General Elections.
Earlier, the Congress for Democratic Change Bong County Chairman Sayblee M.V. Weyea could not confirm nor deny that there is disunity within the Coalition for Democratice Change in the county; but maintained that there are issues within the Coalition.
Sayblee then pulled the legs of the Liberia People’s Democratic Party of its continuous inactiveness in the county, raising another issue in the county.
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.
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.
On November 29, 2021, Chairman Sayblee Weyea, who confirmed the post announced via his official Facebook page the dissolving of the entire Coalition leadership in Bong County to reinstate what he calls ‘independent leaders’ by directive of the CDC’s National Party Chairman, Mr.. Mulbah K. Morlu.
It is not clear what triggered the decision, although he (Sayblee) has maintained that there is no disunity within the party; but many political analysts believe that he is shielding the facts within the party.
Sayblee’s facebook post: “By directive of the National Chairperson of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Chairman Mulbah_K_Morlu, the entire County Executive committee of the CDC Bong chapter is hereby dissolved to be restructured in the coming weeks.
“All positions are hereby vacant. The party must_regain_independence.”
Hours after Sayblee’s post, CDC’s National Chairman, Hon. Mulbah K. Morlu further announced the dissolution of all executive members in thirteen (13) counties; except Montserrado and Grand Kru.
Reuben G. Dolo commented: “And I hope you guys will try as much to resist Hon J Marvin Cole dominance during the restructuring process.”
Martin Mitchell, the County Coordinator in the offices of VP Taylor in Bong County also wrote: “That is a wise decision if chairman Morlu will work to do the right thing, because the coalition for the democratic change is not the Congress for democratic change. If the coalition will have a working leadership in Bong, it must be of the three political parties within the coalition and not all Congress.”
Many CDC supporters including stewards have both pointed accusing fingers at representative Josiah Marvin Cole as one of the problems within the party.
They feel Hon. Cole’s support to others in the party is detrimental.
“Hon. Josiah Marvin Cole own flesh that made him, have all turned their back at him because of his action. The Independent Grassroots Movement really supported Cole, since then, his attitude has made group to stay away from his leadership”an executive of the Independent Grassroots Movement who preferred anonymity for fear of losing his job said.
The Independent Grassroots Movement, founded 2017 with its aim of supporting all coalition candidates in Bong, has been allegedly abandoned by Representative Josiah Marvin Cole. Its Chairman, Mr. A. Victor B. Togbah confirmed the information. He maintains that despite the provision of two office slots provided by the offices of Hon. Marvin Cole, much impact has not been felt.
At the same time, the Administrative Assistant in the offices of Marvin Cole, Eldorado Keamue debunked the statement, adding that the lawmaker has provided three slots in his office as a means of employment; although the leadership is aware of two slots.
Keamue named Mark Nimene as district coordinator, Lydia Lablah as filing clerk and Togbah Matthew as political affairs officer as people who have been employed since 2018.
Keamue however attributed the assertion of traitor to his boss to perpetual hypocrisies, and wants them to stop.