The CDC top officials, who had been reluctant in accepting defeat in last year’s election, said the party now recognized the legitimacy of President Sirleaf, who was declared winner of the November 8, 2011 presidential run-off election by the National Elections Commission (NEC).
Both Tubman and Weah assured the nation that they will work with the Liberian leader in her second six-year tenure for peace and progress in the country.
CDC’s latest position follows months of contention about the outcome of the 2011 polls which the party, at the time, claimed was characterized by fraud and other irregularities.
The party then launched a series of protest actions against the election results although an array of local and international groups including the African Union, ECOWAS, United Nations (UN) Security Council, Carter Center, European Union, among others, that monitored the 2011 presidential and legislative elections in Liberia described the exercises as free, fair, transparent and credible.
During and after the official announcement of election results, the CDC staged mass protests in Monrovia, Liberia’s Capital, leaving many injured, properties destroyed and at least, one person dead.
Besides the protests, the party, at the time, vowed to disrupt the President’s inauguration which was held yesterday, January 16, 2012, on ground that it (CDC), won the 2011 elections but they were stolen by Madam Sirleaf and her ruling Unity Party (UP).
It was this threat, however, that apparently caused the government to tighten security nationwide, 24 hours prior to the inauguration ceremony.
Announcing the abandonment of the protest, at the Executive Mansion after a meeting with President Sirleaf, Cllr. Tubman asserted that CDC has formally accepted defeat and was willing to work with the President in the best interest of the country.
“We are confident that our party members will support us in this direction. We recognized the legitimacy of this government and we are willing to contribute whatever is necessary to promote peace in our country,” Tubman, a former UN ambassador, said.
Flanked by his former vice running mate George Weah, Tubman said the issue of jobs to party officials remains a prerogative of the President and not for CDC to demand.
Commenting on the contrary view of a splinter group of the party, calling itself, Independent Congress for Democratic Change (ICDC) to continue with planned protest actions, Cllr. Tubman categorically dismissed the existence of such a group.
He assured the public of a successful inauguration void of any protest whatsoever from the CDC.
Tubman: “George and I will be at the inauguration on Monday (yesterday) because of our country. I say to other aggrieved members of my party to join us and let’s work together for Liberia.” True to this assertion, both officials of the CDC attended yesterday’s ceremony.
Also making remarks after the meeting with Tubman, Weah and other CDC officials, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf declared that “no one party or person can move Liberia forward.”
She expressed interest in several political talks involving the ruling party and the opposition, stressing the need for collaboration in rebuilding post-conflict Liberia.
The abandonment of its threat to disrupt the historic inauguration of President Sirleaf, who is the first elected female head of state in Africa, however, never made her government to relax security measures which were put in place for the inauguration.
