THE RECENT INCIDENT at the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) headquarters, where the national police force invaded and demolished the party’s offices, a vocational school, and other assets, could have easily escalated into chaos. However, the CDC’s leadership and partisans demonstrated remarkable restraint, patriotism, and commitment to democratic values. This peaceful approach is a testament to the party’s strength and a shining example of democratic maturity. We highly applaud the former ruling establishment for turning sheer provocation into an image-consolidation spectacle.
FURTHERMORE, THE CDC’S peaceful response also serves as a rebuke to those who have long perpetuated the notion that the party is a violent entity. Despite these misconceptions, the CDC chose not to engage in violence or to combat the security forces, instead opting to uphold the principles of democracy and the rule of law. This decision is a significant plus for the party and a disappointment to its critics, who had expected a different outcome.
TRUTH BEING TOLD, the CDC’s actions demonstrate a deep understanding of the importance of protecting Liberia’s nascent democratic culture. By choosing not to resort to violence, the party has shown that it values the democratic process and is committed to resolving disputes through peaceful means. This approach is welcoming and a beacon of hope for the country’s democratic future.
ON THE OTHER HAND, the government’s actions in this incident are a cause for concern. The use of force to demolish the CDC’s headquarters, despite the ongoing legal case, is a blatant disregard for the rule of law. Such a “bulldozer policy” is unacceptable and undermines the principles of democracy and tolerance. All facts are that the case remains unresolved. The High Court was still hearing to the matter. Even accepting that the Court had not issued a stay order, the wide world, let along Liberia, was not about to fall into catastrophe if the invasion was not to take place. Pursuing logical conclusion of a legal matter does not in any way connote defiance or refusal to leave a rented or leased property; it was rather a perfect adherence to the rule of law—rule of law which this very government parades with as a batch of honor. For a government to punish a political party or any citizen or a group of citizens for following the rule of law, even if stubbornly, amounts to a huge pretense.
ASSUMING WITHOUT ADMITTING that the intent of the government’s hasty action was to teach a deadly foe a lesson, it is still folly. A party’s strength does not necessarily spring from physical structures or assets. Rather, it is the cleaving to, or disengagement from, party dogma and values that truly matters. The CDC’s commitment to its principles and its peaceful approach in the face of adversity demonstrate the party’s resilience and dedication to its ideals, and doing anything as if to hurt it only leaves the government and its political institution, the UP, in the vast occasion of ridiculousness, sniffing with unnecessary raw vendetta.
IT CAN BE RECALLED the current Unity Party, then in opposition during the heart of 2023 elections, was evicted in the full glare of the public, yet it won the elections. What is often missed by ruling parties is that when the public sees a major opposition party suffer what appears to be political persecution, it does not lose respect and morale; it draws more public empathy, and its momentum recharged to the highest. So clearly, the CDC which is widely nationally regarded as masses-based party becomes a fat beneficiary of the invasion, demobilization and eviction. Dragged in the mud of politically motivated maneuvers with the subtle intent to demoralize and annihilate, the CDC could emerge from the debris and loss of its headquarters to an even more formidable and fiercest of opponent against ruling establishment. And the signs are emerging. Independent or swing voters apparently might start to look the CDC way.
THE UNITED STATES OF America was smart enough to have given Osama bin Laden a burial at sea, because any attempt to have buried him on anywhere near shore could spark everlasting pilgrimage and a rallying point for incessant, ever-growing radicalism. That exactly what the CDC has begun to do, with sporadic series of pilgrimages that leave much to suspect.
TOLERANCE IS A key component of any democratic society. The government’s actions in this incident demonstrate a lack of tolerance for opposing views and a disregard for the rule of law. We must condemn such actions and promote a culture of tolerance, where all parties can operate freely and peacefully. As Liberia continues to navigate its democratic journey, it is essential that all parties prioritize tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and the rule of law.