Writing about Weah, Koiyee and the CDC comes with a price
By Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh
Jefferson Koiyee of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) found himself in a rather tough position recently when he publicly criticized party founder and former presidential candidate, George Weah, during the national vision conference in Gbarnga, Bong County in 2012.
Koiyee is a brave man who seems to have been frustrated with the leadership of his organization. And the only way he thought he could get the leadership’s attention is to speak out publicly about the problems that plagued the organization, which got him suspended indefinitely from the party.
Instead of party leaders suspending Koiyee and throwing him on the side of the road to rot in isolation, party members ought to applaud him and embrace him for being genuine, and for boldly putting the issues that got him suspended on the front burner to be debated.
The suspension was a stunning decision that got everybody talking, especially when the leadership of the CDC continually speaks fluidly of progressive populist politics and upholding democracy and free speech in Liberia, only to engage in such deliberate exercise of silencing critics who disagrees with the direction of the party.
This deliberate and nauseating practice of a group apology for George Weah resembles the kind of arranged proclamations, petition drives, and quasi statements of support supposedly from a section of the population Liberian leaders often used to neutralized and suppress their opponents to cement their grip on state power. Now, it’s the CDC’s turn.
Travesty of this kind proves that the CDC is only interested in the grand illusions of power and control that focuses on the majesty and grandeur of people/celebrity worship, and not substance and the healthy exchange of ideas that stimulates public debate.
“The National Youth League through its acting chairperson Salinto Montgomery has expressed its deepest regret and apology to the Standard Bearer of the Congress for Democratic Change George M. Weah and its Chairperson George Solo as well as the entire National Executive Committee,” a statement from the Youth League reads.
In another twists, the CDC put out a press release that discusses General Amnesty from the “National Executive Committee of the Congress for Democratic Change, on behalf of its Standard-Bearer and Liberia’s Peace Ambassador, George M. Weah” that “declared general amnesty for all expelled members of the party under Executive Order #004.”
The obviously vague press release did not memtion Jefferson Koiyee and his re-instatement as party member and Youth Chair, but cited broadly those “who may have been expelled for serious constitutional breaches between 2005 and 2012.”
The question now is what becomes of the issues Koiyee raised, that George Weah accepted without consultation the ceremonial job of “Peace Ambassador from President Sirleaf?”
How can members of the CDC stand by and allow Weah to accept such position, when the party is on record to opposed President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on all fronts? Is it not the same President Sirleaf who refuses to accept the rulings of her own Peace and Reconciliation Commission?
Is it not the same President Sirleaf who continues to shamelessly defend nepotism and the hiring of her sons in government? What is the party’s position on that issue? As Peace Ambassador, will Weah do anything different that the Peace and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) did not do?
Instead of supporters of Weah attacking critics and suspending Koiyee indefinitely, are these individuals ready to build a genuine political party that operates on substance and the issues, and not hide behind the celebrity and wealth of Weah and a dysfunctional party to make decisions?
What kind of a political party is the CDC when it leaders cannot accept criticisms from other Liberians and its own members? Is this political party ready for big league Liberian politics, especially in this time of nation building that also requires political maturity and tolerance of the views of others?
Unfortunately, the rush to silence others and a member of the party for speaking out reduces or wipes out the quality of public debate and genuine discussions that supposed to be the cornerstone of the Congress for Democratic Change and other political parties.
However, when there is that level of swift and angry reaction coming from a party or a member for criticizing the so-called “charismatic first partisan” as noted by the learned Isaac Zawalo, it revealed that the CDC is not about winning elections, nation building and democratic change, but about maintaining the status quo of blind loyalty, personality worship and maintaining an imperial leadership, which has hampered growth, development and democracy in Liberian politics.
CDC’s diaspora member Zawolo took me on for my recent piece; (“Koiyee’s suspension confirms CDC’s problems, and George Weah’s lack of leadership”), which detailed Weah’s lack of judgment and leadership when he accepted the ceremonial “Peace Ambassador” job from President Sirleaf, which magnified Weah’s self-centeredness and the party’s shallowness and obvious lack of discipline and political maturity.
Zawolo’s response to my piece did not address the issues of making the CDC relevant, competitive, tolerant and responsive, but saw my piece as a “determination to malign the character and image of the Party and its leader.”
“Of specific interest,” Zawolo writes, “ is the ferocity with which you have engaged issues appertaining to the CDC and its charismatic first partisan, Ambassador George Manneh Weah.”
“Note though that, not that your position really matters since it is clearly the barking and ranting of a desperado wanting of recognition and a spot on the pedestal where greats of the likes of Ambassador rests comfortably pondering on how to achieve genuine reconciliation and peace in Liberia, such reckless behavior, if unchecked, could be misunderstood,” Zawalo added angrily.
For Zawolo’s tirade, my response to him is a short note, which is below.
Dear Isaac Zawalo,
I am an activist/political writer who cares deeply about Liberia and the issues. A reminder also that political activism is not limited to only certain names and characters in Liberian politics. Also, perhaps you are unaware, but I am not about seeking recognition, because I have decades and decades of involvement in progressive political activism and opinion writing under my belt, which I am proud of. Been there, done that also, my friend! Thanks.
However, having listened to Liberians at home and abroad, it appears that the unanimous sentiments raised by these individuals are George Weah’s inability or dismal failure to articulate his vision for Liberia, and the CDC’s failure to be a disciplined and matured political party.
If what these people are saying is so true, is it not the duty of opinion writers and other progressive activists to awaken the party and George Weah to this reality?
Even though Isaac Zawolo commended me “for taking the courage to voice your opinion on many issues that others would shy away from,” he still had problem with my piece because I went after his “chrismatic first partisan.” Are we, or am I only supposed to write flowery articles that heaps praises on Weah to please people like him?
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