CPP Attacks Pres. Weah's Silence on LRD Depreciation

The Collaborating Political Parties has slammed President George Weah’s handling of the economy — accusing him of neglect as shortage of Liberian dollars strangulates the economy.

“The refusal of the government through the Central Bank of Liberia to supply needed Liberian dollars, which has led to a complete shortage of the Liberian dollars on the market, is not only counterproductive to the economic growth desperately needed, but it is broad daylight hardship being imposed on the people of Liberia by the CDC-led government,” the CPP statement said.

The statement by the CPP, led by its rotating Chair Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party, added that the gross failure of the government to meet its commitments to the commercial banks consequently translates to the growing lack of confidence in the Liberian banking sector by the public. 

Boakai noted that it is quite surprising to hear the Minister of Finance speak of achieving single-digit inflation in an environment of induced appreciation of the Liberian dollar against the US dollar. He added this, accompanied by the rapid erosion of consumer purchasing power is simply a sophisticated and well-orchestrated deception taking place.

“Mr. President, the Liberian people deserve better living conditions than what they are now experiencing after all your campaign promises; regardless of how economic data and the facts are twisted, the average Liberian knows what it means to be hungry and deprived.

“The people in basic terms, do not need anyone to tell them that as the local currency in which they trade and their salaries are paid appreciates, the prices of food items (especially their staple, rice), gasoline, transportation fares, school tuitions, and fees, among others, are expected to reduce. Politics and economics are immiscible,” Boakai added.

The CPP chair noted that unfortunately, while Liberia is suffering the excruciating effects of this economic contradiction, some officials and apologists of the CDC government are rather celebrating the suffering of the Liberian people.

He then demands that the CDC Government fulfill its promises and urgently put an end to this exploitative and anomalous economic situation, “the government cannot sit idly with such insensitivity to the Liberian people when prices of food, clothing, and other essential commodities are still high, while the Liberian dollar is becoming hard to get.”

The CPP statement called on the government to stop seeking imaginary solutions to the challenges of the Liberian economy and instead focus on predictable actions and systemic changes that will improve the economic fundamentals of the country.

“These actions will include, inter alia, growing the productive sectors of the economy, improving service delivery across government, fighting corruption robustly and impartially, improving the security climate in the country including vigorously fighting ritualistic killings, supporting Liberian entrepreneurship in critical sectors such as agricultural value addition, and respecting the merit system,” the statement said.  

Meanwhile, the CPP condemns in the strongest terms the deliberate refusal by the government to allow a helicopter belonging to the Political Leader of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP), Dr. Daniel Cassell, to land despite satisfying all of the requirements prescribed by Liberia Aviation Authority.

The CPP alleged that the refusal infringes on the rights of Dr. Cassell and is clearly based on political grounds; it demonstrates how far this government is prepared to go to suppress the opposition.

“We, therefore, call on the government to immediately correct its actions, which could set unintended precedence and have undesired consequences,” Boakai added.