By Bill W. Cooper
Eleven opposition political parties yesterday signed a declaration of intent to established a “Rainbow Alliance” at the A la Lagune Resort in Congo Town.
The 11 parties are Victory for Change Party (VCP), Vision for Liberia Transformation (VOLT), Democratic Justice Party (DJP), Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE), Grassroots Democratic Party of Liberia (GDPL), Redemption Democratic Congress (RDC), Change Democratic Action (CDA), New Liberia Party (NLP), People’s Unification Party (PUP) and the True Whig Party (TWP).
Reading the purpose of the alliance, TWP and the Organizing Chairman of the Alliance, Reginald B. Goodridge, Sr. said the purpose of the Rainbow Alliance is to give voice to the voiceless parties and their many constituencies, as well as to erase then notion that they are small or second-class political parties.
Mr. Goodridge explained that as a government-in-waiting, they from they plan to govern with efficiency, intelligence and good sense, noting they will be more practical so that if they are given an opportunity to govern the country, they will already know what to do.
According to him, their declaration of intent is a significant document that will stand the test of time, as it will also represent the largest political alliance in the 173 years history of the country, and stressed, “we are not here to abuse anybody but to compare our plans for the development of our nation against the plans of every other political group including the ruling party.”
“In remodeling the words of a great visionary, Martin Luther King, the Rainbow Alliance will judge each and every individuals not by ethnic origin, geographic origin, or social standing, we will judge everyone by the content of their character, their commitment to Liberia and the capacity of their brains,” he noted
In remarks, the Vision for Liberia Transformation Party (VOLT) political leader, Dr. Jeremiah Z. Whapoe said their decision to form an alliance is intended to amalgamate forces with any political institutions who so desire to bring to bear equitable distribution of the country’s wealth among its citizens.
Mr. Whapoe, who was defeated in the 2017 presidential election narrated that the election of the CDC-led government that has evolved to be characterized by collision of immoral power with powerless morality has showcased to be the biggest democratic disposition in the history of the country.
He added that the potential marriage between the eleven political parties is intended to lead the country to a new, but higher destiny, to a plateau of compassion for every citizens, as well as to a behavior of humanness that is lost in the society.
Representing the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Unity Party Mo Ali lauded the 11 parties for their farsightedness to form an alliance urging that it would be very challenging from the beginning but will one focus, they can achieve great success, while at the same time pledged the CPP’s interest in working with them for the common good of the Liberian people and country at large.
Editor’s Note: This story is repeated because of error in last Friday’s edition