Liberia: Why the Need for A Robust Opposition Party

D. Michael Yeah Sr. 

It is important for the opposition politicians to know what politics may have looked like during the regimes of past political leaders to inform their political aspirations in order to present those options in their efforts in forming a strong opposition party. 

They need to know, first of all, that the existence of the opportunity for the multi-party system they now enjoy today was seriously fought for; people were jailed and humiliated, placed in the POST-STOCKADE. The erstwhile Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) has abused the opportunity that was made possible by the sweat and blood of other people. What a shame for their failure to hold together.

The CPP have failed to get themselves out of internal strife and do something great by taking positive steps like G. Baccus Matthews (may his soul rest in peace), Oscar J. Quiah, Cllr. Chea Cheapo, Marcus Dahn, Cllr. Musa Dean (present Minister of Justice), Nathaniel O. Beh, Cllr. Peter B. Jallah, D. Karn Carlor, Sam P. Jackson (the present national economic analyst - think tank), J. Alieu Suwary, Sen. J Milton Teajay, and many others, including the luminary under whose stroke of a pen this article is written, done by sticking together… rain or shine, in literally tormenting the Tolbert’s government to force it accepting the institution of the multi-party democratic system into Liberian body politics. 

These people stuck together for a common purpose, not for personal interest. The mission here today is for the electorates to search for this suitable leadership that can guarantee them forming a formidable opposition party mechanism, robust enough to mitigate one party cronyism governance syndrome that may seem to loom over the democratic system.

As I see it, there is a void of knowledge. Many young politicians today flood the electronic air-waves with calls slashing and denigrating one another, not knowing what had politically transpired in the country before them. 

Before them, there have been various stages of political soul-searching for leadership in the Liberian body politics; each stage with its own mode and eminence. For the purpose of this piece of writing, it considers the political period ranging from the end of William V.S. Tubman; being that the emergence and political enlightenment of this generation started at the end of Tubman’s rule in the early 70s.

After the death of Tubman, this old African political giant had ruled as the head of one party political system in Liberia for 27 years, many of today’s major political players were still in their political formative years.

Many Liberians felt that the entire world was coming to an end when the news of the death of Tubman hit.  People started running helter-skelter, knowing not what to do, what to say, and where to go, when the news broke out. “Who will be the next leader?”

The search for a leader had just begun then, that which continues to today. This brings the electorate to the critical prospect for a strong opposition formation, not as a sign to reject the leadership in existence, but for that opposition to stand as mitigating recourse to the growth of existing leadership to untouchable leadership cronyism. This is why the failure of the CPP to materialize was a blow to many Liberians.

The uneasiness and confusion that people experienced at the time Tubman died indicated how much power Tubman had over the lives and conscience of the ordinary Liberian people. It was all but his long stay in power, where those coming up never knew or heard of any other leader besides Tubman. This was attributed absolutely to the lack of a formidable opposition party to the True Whig Party to which the electorates could look to in answering the question “who will be the next leaser”? The CPP let the electorates down; this is why the critical need to form a robust opposition party is a must. 

Liberia being functioning literally as a one party state under Tubman, it as well enforced the supercilious cohesion and unity of its citizenry innocently for a cardinal purpose to exist as a nation well united. Tubman style to bring people together was for a purpose to control. That purpose was underpinned by the cultivation of peace and stability among people. As brutal his reign was against multi-partisan he was characterized as a benign political beast; yet tolerable by both his enthusiasts and cynics.

Though the unleashing of brute force against opponents during election was a common feature of Tubman’s hegemony, there was also bloodletting surveillance machinery mounted against the citizenry throughout the country, whose agents were referred to as PROs (Public Relation Officers).

These were people on government payroll covertly spying on peaceful citizens for would-be opposition members viewed by the regime to be deprived or vile to Tubman’s rule. All of these happened due to a long stay in power as the result of a nonformidable opposition political party fearlessly challenging the regime that is.

After Tubman's death, Tolbert, who was his vice president, took over as president of the country under the same one-party system for nearly 10 years. How did Tolbert get there, what did he do to get there, was the Constitution followed, or was it done through the spiteful mesh of cronyism and nepotism? 

The news broke  that speaker Richard Henries called on members of the ruling class to discuss ways and manner by which the power is to change from the late leader to the person to be sworn in, either the Vice President or the speaker until election is held. It was mentioned in that meeting that the election is to be held in a relatively short time period with the name Jackson F. Doe from Nimba County to stand as a candidate to run on the True Whig Party ticket. It was not clear who actually suggested this in the meeting. Some people said it was Richard Henries; As the news broke through the grapevine from the meeting during those days nothing was transparent due to the lack of vocal press like today.  

As the grape vine news went, in that ruling class meeting James E. Green, who was then a legislator of Sinoe County, said in the meeting to Richard Henries: “If you are tired with our thing, just lay it down we will take it”. It was from this meeting William R. Tolbert became and was sworn in as president and James E. Green became his vice.  James E. Green died and Bennie D. Warner, a United Methodist Bishop, was grabbed from the blue sky and became his vice.  Was the Constitution followed in these instances? Processes were never confronted due to the lack of opposition to critique. 

For nearly ten years in office, Tolbert was never an elected president, though the tenure of presidency was four years as provided by constitutional mandate; even if he were to complete the term of his predecessor. This is what happens if one party system is conjured in a mixture of forms; thereby making the formation of an opposition political party necessary for the political system. 

To his credit, Tolbert brought about ‘total involvement for higher heights’, a slogan that motivated his development policy. To that, he also introduced a form of dress code that became popular as a business suit.  The suit was called ‘total involvement for higher height’; a suit made popular by his cronies. The fear here is not of the regime but of the overstaying in power to become an untouchable political beast like during the period of the True Whig Party.

Subsequently the coup came… Tolbert is overthrown. Now let’s see that of the military leadership of the incoming… the “country boy” now in power as the result of Tolbert’s overthrow. On April 12, 1980 a lower ranked military personnel violently overthrew the Tolbert government; Samuel Doe was in power… again never elected. 

The need for the formation of a political opposition continues to always check-mate ruling regime. Strong opposition party is not a rejection of a regime but a restraining recourse to prevent leadership-cronyism, so that an alternative leadership can readily be found.

The “native woman born soldier” jubilation erupted on the streets of Monrovia.  The “People’s Redemption Council” was instituted as the ruling power being headed by Samuel Doe. In four years time a general election was held, an effort to go to constitutional rule with Samuel Doe against Jackson Doe from Nimba in the election. 

Samuel Doe won the election against the other Doe from Nimba. The process was nothing to be described but one that was inflicted with despicable irregularities. Samuel Doe was jokingly referred to as the front Doe (door) while Jackson Doe was referred to as back Doe (door) after the election. 

Samuel Doe’s power had grown for nearly ten years again due to the lack of a strong opposition party. As a result, it methodically endured alongside tribalism being a foot-note going forward. He had eliminated most of those soldiers along with whom he had staged the military takeover. The political climate has become polarized and polluted with tribal lunacy. Resentments had set in.

War was waged against Samuel Doe. Samuel Doe was defeated and international organizations stepped in and a slew of interim governments were set up, followed by an array of peace talks.  The question still remained; who will be the leader? 

Could a leader be chosen from this basket of leadership that is drenched with oozing tribalism… one that is climaxed with hate, hopelessness, futility and roofless display of aggression ending the Doe hegemony? From that time to date, we still fight to put together a robust opposition party seems to be quite troubling. 

To all political parties, the opportunity must not be ill-treated.  People suffered by being sent to jail, beaten, and humiliated for the multi-party political system to come into existence here because the agitators for it stressed that it be a civil restraining recourse for existing regimes not to overstay in office and not for the lack of it, cause an existing regime to take advantage by bullying its way into holding to power. These are reasons why the need for forming a robust opposition political party is crucial to uphold the legacy of those who earlier fought for its existence. It was done with the SENSE OF COMMON PURPOSE, not for common interest as exhibited by members of the defunct CPP.

The Author

D. Michael Yeah Sr. Political Commentator and can be reached via phone: 0776390486/0886538465 or email: michaelyeah53gmail.com.