In the wake of pre-victory celebration by the Four Opposition Collaborating Political Parties ahead of the final official results by the National Elections Commission and in the face of the ongoing protest of the Council of Patriots (COP), there appears to be bad blood between the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) whereby both have been trading harsh statements that could be recipe for violence in Monrovia. Already, the ruling establishment and the opposition clashed last Wednesday at the opposition Liberty Party Headquarters thereby disbursing jubilant crowd from their celebration with exchange of stone-throwing while the COP, which has allaigned with the opposition has insist on its protest march demanding good governance amongst others. Admist the tension, the ruling CDC’s Youth Wing chairman Jefferson Koijee has issued threats to counter protest at any day that the COP will stage its protest henceforth, stating that Opposition forces and the ruling party forces will meet on protest grounds “Flesh & Blood”. The ANALYST Jallah D. Massah have been following the developments and reports.
Koijee, the Mayor of Monrovia argued that in as much as legisalators can lead protest demonstrations against the ruling government of which he is an official, he too as the Lord Mayor is inclined to lead protest against the opposition as Youth Wing Chairman of the CDC. Not only that he threatened protests, he said his CDC’s protest will always coincide with that of the COP or any opposition protest group so that both groups will meet as Liberians, “in flesh and blood.”
Mr. Koijee said his Youth Wing protest will be robust action against anyone or group who intends to destroy the democracy of the state irrespective of their positions. The mayor promised to counter react, reflecting on the past as opposition.
He issued the threats at a press conference held at the Congo Town Headquarters of the the CDC where he vowed not to sit by to watch the opposition threatened the democracy they, CDCians, fought for.
“This is the democracy we fought for, a completive democracy where men and women of this country can have an opportunity to freely coexist irrespective of their separate ideologies,” Koijee, adding “the democracy is flourishing under the watch of His Excellency Ambassador George Manneh Weah.”
He said on this note, the Youth Leaque of the ruling CDC met and “we want to communicate to our young people that we are a party with rules and orders; we are a party that respect democratic precedent.”
The Monrovia City Mayor further said he called on the youth of CDC to be inform that the National Executive Committee of the Coaliation for Democratic Change headed by Mulbah K. Morlu, will officially be speaking right after National Elections Commission’s announcement of the election results. “We are respecters of democracy, but what prompted the National Executive Committee of the Youth Wing of the CDC to have this youth meeting was to discuss the wave of things that seem to threaten the peace and democracy of our country.”
Koijee warned further, “We want to say to you officially, make no mistake that because we bear setting titles or we occupied setting space in government, and you think that position has taken away from us our true identity.”
He announced to the world and the international community that what the CDC fought for will not be evaded with the ruling party youth sitting by to watch as spectators to come under attacked by “those fools” who believe that nothing good can ever happen under the watch of the Weah-led govwernment.
“We want to say hencefore that when there is any call demonstration as lawmakers can lead, I want to say in my official capacity whether you call me mayor or youth chairperson, we want to assure the public and international community that we will be protectors of our democracy, we will be on the scene also, we will also lead to meet their forces.
“Let me say this aloud, never again such mistaken incident will occur and you think that we will sit and somebody in utopia think because of the love of this country you have monopoly in distributing fears and panic in our people,” asserted.
He said that it is not possible to make them panic while he, Koijee is in the corridor of power. “I want to say thanks to the National Youth Leaque for asking me to communicate their view on the pillar of two decisions – that we want to let the world know that whatsoever result that will be announced by NEC, which is the official body with the responsibility to preside over electoral matter, will be respected.”
Accordingly, he maintained that the CDC Party will state its official position after communication of the elections result, calling on the youth and young people in his party to remain calm and be party discipline.
He warned further that the youth of his party should refrain from jumping into any other action that is not in conformity with CDC doctrine and philosophy, but rather to remain respecters of the rule of law until the official decision from the party is announced.
“We want to assure the public, and international friends that 12 years, CDC served in the capacity as opposition and had the capacity to rival the peace of this country to the extent that people were killed, to the extent that we went to jail, to the extent that we were shot with bullets, but, we did not at any point in time choose our ambition over ride the state and peace of this country,” Mr. Koijee said
Hear Koijee: “What we did,” he pointed out, “was to sacrifice our ambition for the peace of this country – that which was done by the current President of this country Ambassador George Manneh Weah who did not one day lead any demonstration in his capacity as political leader.”
“Come to think of this, how can you have election and have people jumping in the streets and think that we will sit like spectators? I say no, if no one will do that, the Youth League under my watch will not sit and watch because I am a mayor; I will be in the full-front to lead as we led before.”
He then threatened that any day that will be announced by anyone for protest, the same day will be announced by the CDC and wheresoever the protesters will be, they will also be there to meet flesh and blood as Liberians to see if anyone has the capacity to threaten our peace.
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