By Bill W. Cooper
Sinoe County Senator, Augustine Chea has called for a significant rebranding of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), criticizing former government officials for their perceived greed and lack of compassion for Liberians and partisans while in power.
The Sinoe County Senator at the same time has boldly predicted the chances of the CDC of coming back to the Liberian Presidency during country’s 2029 Presidential and Legislative elections.
Chea, who is also an affiliate of the CDC narrated that the CDC being a great party and, undoubtedly, the most popular political institution in the country because of its standard bearer, would need a total rebranding in order to taste power again.
“Make no mistake, the CDC is still relevant and poised to make a comeback but the party needs rebranding. Coming from a surprising defeat, there is a need for soul searching, deeper soul searching and table-turning,” he said.
The CDC, as a ruling party, then a coalition got defeated by then opposition Unity Party (UP) header by President Joseph Boakai during the 2023 Presidential election, by a slight margin during the November 4, 2024 runoff pools.
But since its defeat, the party continues to find itself in the center of series of controversies, ranging from members resignation, the leaving of other affiliating members and the clashing with police forces, among others.
With this act, many Liberians are somehow doubting as to whether the CDC will make a comeback during the future 2029 election, amidst the emergence of other political institutions and politicians.
However, giving his perspective ahead of 2029, Chea also called for the CDC to restructure with the aim of taking up a new personality for image building, with a call for ‘field marshals’ to retreat to the war room and new commanders deployed to the frontline.
According to him, that’s the most logical pathway to reconnecting with the people (partisans included), and wondered, “What do the people (partisans included) mean when they say George Weah is good but the people around him?”
“They are talking about those within Weah’s political circle including party leaders and those he appointed to his government; their stewardship and their relationship with them, the people (partisans included), viewed negatively.
Trust has been broken, grievances and discontent abound. The raw truth is that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction and disharmony within the party. The people (partisans included) feel let down or betrayed,” Chea reiterated.
He further mentioned, “The masses’ project, the great ‘blue revolution’, was hijacked by wealth seekers and sycophants just as Samuel Doe and his junta hijacked the progressives’ revolution of the 80’s. The party leaders and government officials became the “pigs” personified in George Orwell’s political satire, ‘Animal Farm.”
“The milk is good only for the pigs. So, they used their positions and proximity to former President Weah to enrich themselves, marginalized partisans, and empowered their family members and friends to the extent that each had three or more family members and a countless number of friends and significant others in senior and junior government positions. In short, they were too greedy and mean!
Even in 2023, a friend, who was campaigning for a Senatorial seat in Maryland County, Gbleh-bo Brown, called me one day and said, “Senator, it’s tough on your man [Senator Brown]. Those guys put their own candidates against him and they’re spending plenty money behind them,” he said.
Sen. Chea further narrated, “They have divided the party. The only person that’s supporting the Senator from the party is the President.” Wow! And that was the situation in most, if not all, of the counties.”
“The same people cannot lead the party and the people (partisans included) support them. The party needs new faces to rebuild trust and to reconnect with the people (partisans included).
Don’t get me wrong, these people are loyal to the party and the Standard Bearer. But party/SB loyalty alone without love and compassion for the people (partisans included) is like a harvest without food,” he expressed.
“The partisans see their loyalty as self-driven; and their arrogance and sense of entitlement of being more CDCians than others as divisive, only intended to give them undue advantage,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Senator has also lamented about the mistrust amongst party officials within the CDC, stressing, “There is too much mistrust, so much so that they have become repellants.”
“And I will ‘drop the ball’ they are the reason for the election loss. In any democracy, the people (partisans included) matter the most because you need them to win your elections.
He stated, “Thanks to ex-Chairman Mulbah Morlu for giving up the charge. That was done in good conscience and a demonstration of selflessness. As Chairman of the party, he failed to win the 2023 presidential election, so he couldn’t lead the party to another election.”
The party is not short of talents or strategists.
They are in abundance; all they need is recognition and an opportunity to serve their dear CDC. And believe me, they will rise to the occasion if given the chance,” he added.
