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Odd Bed-Fellows Up Against Sirleaf Can She Survive the 2nd Term Bid? Analystliberia.com February 16, 2010
The ruling Unity Party (UP), at its special strategy convention last week in the central highland town of Gbarnga in Bong County, concluded a merger agreement with the Liberia Action Party (LAP) and the Liberia Unification Party (LUP). The three will become a new Unity Party with symbols of LAP and LUP. With this gain up President Sirleaf’s sleeves, she had no doubt that the road is clear for her second reelection bid.
But, new political developments of last week indicate that the road may not so clear after all: odd bedfellows of the NPP, CDC, and LP fame are planning to band together to wrest the presidential crown in 2011. The Analyst, reports.
A ‘formidable’ political alliance, comprising known odd bedfellows, is in the making to wrest the presidency from President Sirleaf in 2011, The Analyst has learnt over the weekend.
The political odd bedfellows, according to yet-to-be verified reports, include Dr. Dew Mayson of the Liberia People’s Party (LPP), Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor of the National Patriotic Party (NPP), and representatives of the Liberty Party (LP) and the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC). It is not clear what the final form of the alliance will be, but the report said when it is completed, Dr. Mayson will assume the standard-bearer post and Senator Taylor will take the vice standard-bearer post.
Insiders told The Analyst over the weekend that Dr. Mayson, once a staunch supporter of President who became disenchanted for not being preferred for the foreign minister post, was the proper presidential choice. “Mayson would steal into the President’s popularity and support base,” the alliance insider said.
The report did not say what Senator Taylor, a onetime first lady of Liberia’s most recent unpopular regime, brings to the alliance, prompting observers to believe her top-level inclusion was one of the mysteries surrounding the formation of an alliance of odd bedfellows in the first place.
“The two have never been known in private or public to advocate or agree on anything regarding governance, law reforms, approach to investment and concession agreement, the plight of the Liberian masses generally, or the rebuilding of the nation.
hat we know is that of late, Dr. Mayson has become a Sirleaf lackey as Taylor, once technocrat in the banking sector, became one of the vocal critics of the Sirleaf Administration,” said one observer. “Even now, she is probably preparing a bill to impeach the Presiden
He said for such individuals so many miles apart in political interests and in political base support to conceive the idea of forming an alliance to oppose a popular incumbent was one of the weirdest political pursuits of the century.
Some however said that instead of serving as a soggy base for the alliance, the weirdness of the pursuit indicated the resolves of the individuals involved to step out of their former cocoons to shed their political parochialism for the common good of the nation.
“That, though, needs to be seen as the alliance deliberates and comes to the opening with its full political lineup,” the observer said.
•Mr. Dew Mason - LPP However, the report revealed that there were more disenchanted former top-level Sirleaf supporters lining up to boost the alliance and to give it the power to wrest the presidency in the 2011 presidential polls. The report, without naming names, said those likely to throw their political weights behind the new alliance despite its oddities, were Dr. Amos Sawyer and Mr. Musa Bility, amongst others, who abandoned their parties to support President Sirleaf’s candidacy in 2005.
Mr. Musa Bility, the CEO SRIMEX who was once a staunch supporter of President Sirleaf, fell off with the “Iron lady” because she did not provide him with position that he expected for himself and other members of the Mandingo ethnic group, the report hinted.
It said the business tycoon once eyed the LPRC managing director post, which later went to President Sirleaf’s economic advisor and friend, Mr. Harry Greaves. It is not known what role Mr. Bility will play in the alliance, but he is said to be gearing up supports for 2011 as he nurses his intention to run for the presidency of LFA, which could serve him as a national forum.
The report revealed further that the alliance formation committee has begun lobbying CDC stander-bearer emeritus, George Weah, to stay out of the 2011 presidential race. The report did not say what the status of the lobby was, but it said the political leader of LP and possible presidential candidate for the 2011 presidential race, Cllr. Charles Brumskine, has accepted not to run.
Asked about all this, a partisan of LP said there were talks going on in the opposition but could not say who will be the standard-bearer of the new alliance. It said the concession of Messrs of Brumskine and Weah to subordinate their presidential ambitions to those of Dr. Mayson and Senator Taylor held the keys to the success of the alliance in formation. “The two parties bring a lot of support to the alliance,” one insider said.
He however could not say why the leaders of the parties with the largest grassroots base not taking up the gauntlet of facing President Sirleaf. But he said Mr. Mayson was gearing up to raise at least US$5 million for the elections. For observers, that was another oddity of the alliance.
Meanwhile, the report says that Mr. Winston Tubman is now moving closer to the UP after having hopes of an alliance with the CDC dashed by Mr. Weah.
Mayson, Bility, Brumskine, Tubman, and Sen. Taylor all could be reached up to press time last night for comments. Analysts however say while the recent merger of the LUP, LAP, and UP and now the reported efforts of CDC, LP, NPP, LPP, and others indicated that Liberian politicians were determined to give the Liberian voters clear choices, they say the solidity of the merger foundation was crucial to its goals.
“The idea of political alliance or coalition is not new; it only needs to be revised to take care of the hidden ambitions of some of the participants. Unless the reason to merge is not to contest the presidency and withdraw into individual cocoons after the election, current efforts will benefit the nation. If they are, then the future is bleak,” said one political analyst.
He said whether President Sirleaf was defeated at the 2011 polls, or survived it, would depend on whether the leadership and rank-and-files of LAP and LUP fared better in the new merger rather than relegated to the positions of freshmen – “new comers” who need orientation and whose loyalty needed to be tested and verified.
The upcoming alliance, also, the he said, needed initially to overcome the political oddities that come with its efforts if it must overturn the Sirleaf phenomenon in 2011.
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