AFRICAN PANORAMA
Protecting Democracy in Opposition to the Re-emergence of the One Party State in Liberia Position of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) on the 2011 Presidential Runoff Elections

                                 
Sinkor, Monrovia:


  Introduction

The complication of electoral politics that confronted Liberia in 2005 has repeated itself in the 2011 presidential election; only that this time, as a complex emergency  increasingly threatening to undermine the democratic process and entrench the one party state. The wicked motivations and machination of humankind in post war Liberia have connived with the conspiracy of history to present the Liberian people with yet another embarrassment in the democratization process – a possible runoff in the presidential election between the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and the Unity Party (UP). Faced with this reality, the progressive segment of the Liberian political class must act decisively in order to consolidate the gains of the democratic process and safe the state of yet another collapse. Constrained by circumstances to act thus, the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) has no other choice but to lead the Liberian people through this nightmare and once more leave the judgement of action to time and God. Nor did the leadership of the NDC choose to place itself in this position. For history and the responsibility of realistic leadership demands that a stance is taking on this day in line with what the Liberian people want and deserve.

     What Do the Liberian People Want?

What do the Liberian people want? The people of Liberia deserve nothing but the best. They want equal opportunity for all irrespective of ethnic origin. They want the satisfaction of their basic needs. They want better jobs. They want empowerment. They want freedom – freedom from hunger, freedom from illiteracy, freedom from disease, freedom from poverty, and freedom from poor housing. The majority in rural Liberia want motor roads and infrastructural development in general. They want fair play in electoral democratic practices because only when the people have the power to change government that does not work in their interest will government feel compelled to work in accordance with the wishes of the masses of voters. So they want multiparty democracy under an atmosphere of peace and security.

The people of Liberia want a government that will resolve the national question by 1) reconciling the historically antagonistic relations in the country, 2) the building of social harmony, 3) constructing a progressive democratic country with distributive justice and equal opportunity for all without discrimination, and 4) addressing the national security question through the empowerment of the mass majority of dispossessed and marginalized Liberians.

    The State of Democracy in Liberia

Thus, given the horrendous experience of war, it was assumed that a government arising in post war Liberia would have paid attention to the promotion of multiparty democracy, reconciliation, peace and stability;  improvement in the state of human security, public service delivery and job creation for the empowerment of poor people; as well as human resource and infrastructural development. But contrary to expectation, the immediate post war government that emerged, a remnant of the conservative and sectarian True Whig Party Government claiming to have been reformed as a Unity Party (UP), dashed all hopes for national renewal and progress.

In the political field, the UP government cajoled the Liberian people on empty slogans while misdirecting the enormous goodwill of the international community toward a regime consolidation project that is aimed at obstructing the democratization process and reinstating the one party state of the 20th century. The massive fraud that took place in the bi-elections of previous years as well as in the 2011 legislative and presidential elections, the wasting of government resources on ruling party campaign activities, and the use of international development assistance and government finance for self-enrichment have all served to move the country in undesirable direction. Accordingly, at best, Liberia is witnessing the deliberate distortion of the democratic process aimed at creating the one party dominant state or, at worst, the sophisticated reconstruction of the one party state despite all pretences regarding the existence of the semblance of democracy. The trend is unacceptable. Why? Because the same undemocratic condition that was the antecedent of war in the late 20th century can be a precondition for war in the early 21st century. Incidentally, war in Liberia has only meant much blood for nothing. And ironically, the same class of old order politicians that brought war on the country in the name of democracy are the same ones that are obstructing the democratic process in way that may leave the country in another war. Moreover, the imposition of the simple majority as opposed to the constitutionally guaranteed absolute majority in the legislative election and the careless handling of the counting and pronouncement of results in the presidential elections have cast doubt over the fairness of the electoral process.

Toward the 2011 Presidential Runoff Election

As is now public knowledge, during the counting of the ballots after the October 2011 legislative and presidential elections, it was widely suspected that the strange formula that selectively staggered the presentation of results was aimed at confusing the public mind and given the absolute majority to the presidential ticket of the Unity Party. Interestingly, the pre-emptive strike from the opposition camp that questioned dishonesty in the counting process and the strange logic of vote count presentation put the National Elections Commission on notice and the trend of the counting change.  As a result, no party was declared winner of the absolute majority and the country was once more faced with a repeat of the dilemma of 2005, a runoff between the conservative and corrupt Unity Party and what some have considered the disorganized and unpredictable Congress for Democratic Change.
Be that as it may, the democratic process requires a level playing field and the honest counting of ballots. Presidential leadership in Liberia is not an entitlement of any one group of people or political party. Given the history of political violence in the quest for democracy in Liberia, it is imperative that the necessary mechanisms are put in place to ensure that the presidential runoff election between UP and CDC (if it will take place) is free and fair so that the chaos on the horizon cannot become a reality.

At the Critical Juncture: Which Way Liberia?

However, as Liberia, the Sweet land of Liberty finds itself at the critical juncture, the question before the voting population is which way Liberia: CDC or Unity Party? Since the first round of the October 2011 elections, this question has preoccupied every segment of the NDC. From healthy debates to respective disagreements and painstaking endeavours at consensus building, deliberate efforts have been made to arrive at understanding in the interest of protecting the integrity of the ballot, preserving the democratic culture, building the peace and maintaining post war stability. In so doing, the NDC Executive Committee did recognize the right of every Liberian associating with any of the NDC structures to vote his or her conscience in accordance with guarantees provided in the constitution of the Republic of Liberia.

Contending Views in the NDC on the Pending Presidential Runoff Elections Between the CDC and the Unity Party

However, within the NDC, the internal democracy and deliberations that resulted in decision making on the urgent question before the country accommodated three main trends. 

The first trend was a position of neutrality. 

The second trend was a support for the Unity Party. 

Third Trend – Support for the CDC

And the third trend was a position of Support for the CDC. And this trend finally dominated the decision of the NDC. The support for the CDC was driven by disgust with the failure of the Unity Party Government to respond to the needs and aspirations of the Liberian people. In addition, the vindictiveness of the UP government, the insatiable and incurable corruption in the UP Government, the manipulation of the referendum results and the massive and systematic fraud experienced by individual candidates and political parties in the 2011 elections were cited as evidences of the inability of the Unity Party Government to reconcile Liberia and secure democratic practices in the country.

The mass of the supporters of the CDC where described as the  marginalized and suffering Liberian people for whom the progressive community has always fought, and who could therefore not be abandoned in critical times.

The third trend contended that to tolerate the UP will be to give the autocracy recess, when there should be no break in the prosecution of the struggle for change in Liberia.
Today, the masses of supporters in the CDC may not have the sophistication required to articulate their struggles in the most elegant manner, but they comprise those for whom the genuine and authentic progressives have fought over the years.

The fear was expressed that the UP did not have the capacity to ensure peace and security when UNMIL draws down, because the UP government lacks sound policy on reconciliation and national security and definitely suffers from legitimacy crisis?

Beside the NDC policy differences with the Unity Party government, UP arrogance and abuse of official prerogatives were cited as reasons for which the CDC should be supported in the event of a second round of elections.

Moreover, leakages in the electoral process and the failure of the government to encourage negotiated settlement were cited as manifestations of the inability of the UP administration to manage the harmony in relations required between the different centres of power in the country.

The fact that the CDC approached the NDC for cooperation was seen as a demonstration of flexibility and astute politics in complicated times.

Critical Perspective on the Current Reality: Popular Intervention for Democratic Progress and Progressive Social Change

Of course, as national leaders we cannot remain neutral under the circumstances. The exigencies of time compellingly obliges us to establish clear position today for history to clarify tomorrow.  In General then, concerning matters of principle that border on the preservation of the democratic culture and the prevention of the re-emergence of the one party state, support for the Unity Party is not permissible. For the purpose of sustaining a viable opposition and obstructing the re-emergence of the one party state, we are for the CDC in the 2011 presidential runoff election, if it will occur.

We contend that given the massive fraud that characterized the 2011 legislative and presidential elections, there is need for the necessary mechanisms to be put in place so that future vote counts and announcement of election results are not placed in doubt. And in the event that the necessary corrective measures are taken to protect the integrity of the ballot, the NDC shall encourage the CDC into a second round and support the CDC in the capture of the presidency that the ruling class is stubbornly refusing to give up, even in the face of possible electoral defeat. But to all intents and purposes, whether the UP retains power or the CDC attains power, we are concerned about the success, survival and future of democracy in Liberia. After all, political power in Liberia is not an entitlement of any one group or class of people. We know for sure that this election is partly about the control of the oil. But we must have the courage to give that control to whatever side democratically wins the pending presidential election.

Two More Things

The International Community and the Quest for Democracy in Liberia

The first concerns the loud silence of the international community in these critical times. I think I should call attention to the fact that it is now clearer from the Liberian experience that there are matters and situations in which prominent actors in the so-called international system and some highly placed functionaries of the international civil service are blinded or motivated by self-interest and thus induced to act in their own selfish interests while pretending that they are acting in the national interest of a particular country.

Owing to the failure of the international community to take objective position on the outcome of problematic African elections (except those that are in the interest of powerful governments), we suspect Western conspiracy to weaken African countries by imposing unpopular governments.

But we are resolved that we will rescue Liberian democracy for the sake of the youth and generations unborn. We are completely shocked that the international community which professes to uphold peace and the spirit of the democratic principle does not see the attitude and behaviour of the Liberian Government in the circumstances as a major threat to national security and the survival of democracy. At a time when negotiated settlement of legitimate grievances is the way forward, the provocation by government in the period is unacceptable because it constitutes the greatest threat to peace and stability. Once more, through the silence or bias positioning of key actors, the double standard of the international community is revealed for all to see. But careerists who want to continue making fortune from the breakdown of Liberia will be disappointed. For as for us, we have nothing to live for but our country.

Of course, there is no doubt that major players in the so-called international community or some prominent international civil servants support elitism, autocracy and the neo-liberal order which is in substance the continuation of the re-colonization of Africa with the collaboration of corrupt African leaders. In that project, a large section of the Liberian media has exposed itself as spoiler of democratic change.

   The Media and the Search for Democracy in Liberia

That brings be to the second thing that I want to also talk about. On the other hand therefore, democracy is wounded in Liberia today because of the unprofessional and criminal role of most media houses and individuals who masquerade as journalists. Most media houses were bought by the ruling party using state resources in the 2011 elections. Most media houses downplayed important news coming from some opposition quarters because the plan of the ruling class was to replay the 2005 scenario. Most media houses projected the ruling party as the best that could come out of Liberia when the worst of Liberia has found expression in the bad governance of the Unity Patty Government. And now the curse of this country and frown of those who laid down their lives in the search for democratic governance will forever haunt the greedy ones who have erected the grotesque phenomenon. But as for us, we have nothing to live for but country, Liberia.

                                                 SO LIBERIA FIRST!


NDC ENDORCES CDC
NDC ENDORCES CDC

Thursday, November 3, 2011
IN THE RUNOFF OF THE 2011 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: