MONROVIA – It is clear the leadership and membership of the former ruling Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) have ended their period of wailing, lamentation and grief, and have begun to dust off themselves from the woes and toxins of the 2023 waterloo. The then incumbent “masses-based indomitable CDC”, as it fondly refers itself, losing power to a then clearly poorly prepared Unity Party with less than twenty thousand votes, was paralyzing, warranting prolonged shedding of copious tears and mourning. It seems the now biggest opposition political party is wasting no time in catapulting itself from the valley of disillusionment to the limelight of Liberia’s democratic landscape. As The Analyst reports, the nation is yet again turning blue today as the CDC uses its “Militant Month” celebration as a solid springboard to harness its “Blue Revolution” into a rebirth.
Despite reported simmering internal crisis here and there, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) today takes to the streets, emptying constituent communities into its Congo Town headquarters. Spokespersons of the former ruling call the theme of the celebration ‘Transforming Setbacks into Great Comeback’.
Pro-CDC media outlets are vibrating with talk shows, jingoes and other promotional materials mobilizing partisans, sympathizers and supporters to rise up, assemble and drown the ‘Sycamore Tree’ with battle cries, slogans and moving speeches to shake off and wash out the stupor of an unfortunate, unexpected defeat it suffered seven months ago.
The CDC, whether it was the Congress for Democratic Change or the Coalition for Democratic Change is widely believed to be Liberia’s most populous political party in recent decades, drawing membership and supporters from densely populated communities and faraway regions.
The CDC lost power after just one term (six years) – a loss some blamed on unscientific campaign planning, corruption and dishonesty on the party of those relied upon at the time to convert its popularity to victory at the ballot box. Others blame the loss on public gullibility to the lies and propagandas cleverly pivoted by the then opposition Unity Party.
Whatever the case, the party, since the last seven months, has been struggling with the aftermath of a terrible defeat, and many pundits are predicting that today’s event will be the electrifying momentum that would put breath in the dry bones and nostrils of a wounded political movement and its stupefied members and supporters.
In brief notices shared on social media platforms, the CDC asserts that June is a month set aside to celebrate the remarkable commitment and heroism of partisans who continue to intellectually defend the CDC and its image.
“It is those who continue to propagate the ideas and philosophy of the CDC at various fora, towns, villages and every faucet of our societies that this month recognizes and appreciates,” the party said in a statement.
“They are firebrand soldiers who continue to selflessly dedicate their all to the growth and development of the party.”
Unarguably, numbers of the CDC, also appropriately tagged “masses-based party” are its fulcrum and strength, but some pundits usually conjecture that the party’s failure or negligence to intentionally capitalize and maximize its populist nature and flair is its woes.
It was said during the 2023 elections that throngs of partisans in search of campaign materials during the elections slept at the doorsteps of headquarters building, outside the fans of party bigwigs, and they never got.
Partisans complain some party bigwigs, during the six years of incumbency, quickly adopted the Animal Farm mentality, not only detached themselves from the “masses of partisans”, drawing the aristocratic lines, but also sought personal wealth to fill pockets and bank accounts while the impoverished majority were limited to mere praise-singers under the “CDC is Supreme” slogan.
Though the party is yet to retreat into isolation to scientifically take stock of what went wrong, what denied such a popular and relatively development-centric party a second term, it appears the “Militant Month” event might be the spot the seed of a genuinely pro-poor party will be planted to germinate in the coming months and years.
Today, excitements are all over the air, with communities, districts and constituencies afire, as swarms of partisans gear up for today’s event not only towards reigniting the Green Revolutionary Order but also bathing in to pool of CDC nostalgia of sloganeering, firing speeches and defiant exhibition of camaraderie, boldness and audacity under intolerable conditions.
Specific activities that will light up the headquarters include meet-and-greet of partisans (big and small), varying types of games.
In one of its notices, the party sent out clarion calls to an and sundry, saying: “Join us from June 28 to 30,2024 at the national headquarters of the mighty CDC in Congo Town as the mighty District #9 will lock horns with District #6 in the opening fixture of the kickball match while District #10 will go against District #4 in the football match.
Other activities include, according to the notice, include featuring of competitions in Ludo, Checker, Chess, Scrabble, Nafoot, Parker Pin and many more.”
It is said that the CDC’s political leader, ex-president George M. Weah along with the legislators headed by the Caucus Chair Senator Nathaniel F. Mcgill and House Speaker Fonatti Koffa and Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah will lead an array of lawmakers while Chairman Janga Augustus Kowo along with Secretary General Jefferson T. Koijee will lead scores of party leaders to celebrate with you on this unique occasion in the history of the CDC.
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