With the December 2020 midterm senatorial elections inching closer, politicians and political parties from all aisles seem to be in a wild frenzy to rebrand themselves winsomely to garner votes from the electorates. One of such rebranding strategies appears to be the phenomenal disbursement of huge sums of money along with the Liberian staple rice by politicians and political parties to induce votes. And, although pundits continue to raise concerns over the use of “cash and material violence” to win votes, the practice has now gained unprecedented momentum with the approach of the midterm elections, and as the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) pulls all strings to reclaim Montserrado County from the clutches of the opposition bloc and unseat Senator Abraham Darius Dillon; The Analyst reports.
The opposition bloc, feeling extremely threatened by the prospect of the governing CDC allegedly using state resources to influence the midterm elections, has already started to raise alarm.
Mo Ali is the acting Secretary General of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP). According to Mr. Ali in a social media disclosure last evening, President Weah met with cabinet ministers and heads of agencies about three nights ago at his Jamaica Lodge Resort and instructed them to do everything humanly possible to ensure that the CDC wins Montserrado County.
“My very reliable source told me that the president told his ministers that under no condition should they allow Senator Abraham Darius Dillon and the CPP win the Senate seat in Montserrado. According to my source, a very furious President Weah, banging on the table, instructed all his ministers and heads of agencies to ensure that civil servants and those working at agencies vote for the CDC. The president also instructed those in the meeting to use all available government resources at their disposal to ensure that victory is achieved in Montserrado,” Mr. Ali disclosed.
He said it is based on this instruction from President Weah that key cabinet ministers and heads of agencies have decided to violate the code of conduct by campaigning everywhere in Montserrado.
“Not only that they are campaigning, but they are also emptying government’s coffers of every little cash and dividing said cash to people in communities that they are campaigning in. They are also purchasing rice and distributing them to people,” the CPP official and Unity Party stalwart alleged.
“Meanwhile, the president has also given a very clear instruction to a select group of NEC Commissioners to ensure that all is done to give victory to the CDC in Montserrado,” Mr. Ali alleged.
Public Reactions
In the wake of the CPP strongman’s allegations, people have taken to social media to give their position on the matter.
“Look Mo, they are just providing us with more weapons to shoot and we will shoot. When they got to know that Liberian people need food and money to improve their livelihood? But we will answer the question for them in due course. The president needs to understand that Liberians are no longer crazy. Before, many Liberians sang praises to George Weah because by then they may not have understood who he was but now we know. So if he likes, let him clear the entire Central Bank and distribute it to the Liberian people, we will still vote against his choice,” declared an irate voter.
“Spineless opposition that only sits and whines over everything instead of taking concrete actions. Sit there and keep whining and complaining thinking it is going to make President Weah and his CDC to stop violating the constitution. I can see that you guys have already set the stage for the CPP’s defeat in Montserrado County. Those old folks heading the CPP are tired. All they want now is a stable and peaceful environment where they can live until God calls them home. Trust me, they will be the first to stop the young militants in the CPP from taking any radical stance against bad governance. So sorry for the young folks looking up to these old folks for redemption,” lamented an apparently frustrated member of the opposition bloc.
“The only thing President George Weah needs to do is to step down as president and come run on CDC ticket; then we will know he is really serious to get Montserrado County back. But if he likes, he can lift whichever candidate on CDC ticket feet in the air. ADD will still flog them,” declared an ardent supporter of Senator Dillon.
But not everyone seems impressed with Mr. Ali’s revelations. Some supporters of the governing CDC actually believe that the opposition bloc is jittery over the prospect of the CDC fielding Montseraddo County Representative Thomas Fallah to run against Senator Dillon for the Montserrado County senatorial seat. Some even hail the unabashed distribution of huge sums of monies and the move by some government to campaign without observing the code of conduct.
“Since when did you notice that this is unfair? During Robert Sirleaf days you campaigned and violated the code of conduct!!!! Let me hear it from different people’s mouths; not Unity Party people mouths…” fumed a diehard member of CDC.
All efforts to get the side of the ruling CDC proved futile up to press time.
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