Liberia: Opposition Leaders Move to Formalize Cooperation, Set Joint Communiqué for Sunday

MONROVIA — Liberia’s opposition political leaders are set to take another step toward formalizing cooperation when they meet Sunday, September 27, for a second roundtable expected to culminate in the signing of a Joint Communiqué.

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By Gerald C. Koinyeneh

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The meeting, scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at the Sinkor Palace in Sinkor, Monrovia, will be hosted by Movement for Progressive Change (MPC) Political Leader Simeon C. M. Freeman.

The roundtable will bring together former President and Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Political Leader George Manneh Weah; Alternative National Congress (ANC) Political Leader Alexander Benedict Cummings; Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE) Political Leader and Standard Bearer Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah; Freeman; and Union of Liberian Democrats Party (ULDP) Political Leader Jonathan A. Mason.

According to a statement issued Saturday by the Opposition Political Parties Joint Technical Committee, the meeting is intended to strengthen the framework for cooperation that has emerged from a series of consultations among opposition leaders.

The Sunday gathering follows two meetings held earlier this month.

The first, on September 5, brought together a broader group of opposition stakeholders, while a second meeting on September 6 focused specifically on political leaders of opposition parties.

Those engagements, according to the statement, provided an opportunity for the participants to discuss Liberia’s national situation, identify areas of common interest and explore possible avenues for cooperation.

The September 27 meeting is expected to focus more specifically on the practical side of that cooperation, including structures, mechanisms and other arrangements intended to sustain the consultations.

Beyond an Electoral Alliance

The opposition leaders say their discussions are not being framed solely around the possibility of an electoral alliance.

Instead, they say the emerging cooperation is intended to provide a platform for collective consideration of Liberia’s national challenges and the development of practical responses.

“The Opposition Political Leaders remain firmly committed to sustaining the foundation of opposition unity, not merely as a means towards an electoral alliance,” the statement said, adding that the process is also intended to promote “collective ideas, constructive engagement, and practical solutions” in the interest of Liberians.

The proposed Joint Communiqué is expected to document the understandings reached during the consultations and establish a basis for continued engagement among the participating parties.

The communiqué is scheduled to be signed publicly at the conclusion of Sunday’s roundtable.

The initiative comes as opposition parties continue consultations over possible areas of cooperation ahead of Liberia’s next electoral cycle.

The parties have yet to publicly announce a common political ticket or broader electoral arrangement, and Sunday’s meeting is being presented by the technical committee as part of an ongoing process of consultation and coordination.

The Opposition Political Parties Joint Technical Committee issued the statement on behalf of the participating parties.