CDC vs. UP Crowds: Comparing Size and Authenticity

MONROVIA – The Unity Party’s (UP) recent crowd at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) on Sunday bore striking resemblance to the massive gathering the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) staged just ten days prior at the same venue. K-News makes a comparative analysis of these enormous gatherings and their potential impact.

CDC’s Gathering

On September 7, the CDC organized a gathering that, at the time, held the distinction of being the largest political assembly in the run-up to the 2023 presidential and legislative elections. President Weah, Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, and officials from both the government and the ruling party graced the event.

To add color and attraction, the CDC hired the services of several celebrities, including Bucky Raw, Christoph, Takun J, and renowned Hollywood actor Van Vicker. Leading up to the event, these stars joined the CDC in launching a massive awareness campaign on social media and mainstream outlets.

President Weah proudly proclaimed the assembly as the largest in Liberia’s political history, stating, “Fellow Liberians, I am your president, your implementer, your developer, your talk and do,” Dr. Weah said at the campaign launch of his Coalition for Democratic Change, the largest gathering ever in Liberia’s political history, on Thursday, September 7.”

However, critics, including the UP, alleged that the crowd was financially induced. They accused the CDC of using a substantial amount of government funds to bolster their political campaign. Reports surfaced of the CDC disbursing significant sums to media institutions across Montserrado for coverage of their launch, as well as paying hefty fees to all the celebrities who graced their rally. Moreover, the UP claimed that the CDC incentivized auxiliaries to mobilize supporters for the event and transported a large number of people from the counties to inflate the crowd size.

The UP Rally

The UP countered by asserting that not only did their crowd surpass that of the ruling CDC, but it also consisted of loyal supporters who, despite heavy rain, flocked to the ATS. They contended that, unlike the CDC launch, the ATS and the pitch were at full capacity. The UP denied trucking supporters from the counties, emphasizing that the rally was exclusively for Montserrado-based supporters. However, in some regions such as Lofa, Margibi, and Nimba, UP supporters donned party attire and celebrated the launch in Monrovia. K-News confirmed that a substantial number of UP supporters in Margibi and Grand Cape Mount Counties held a vigil for the launch on Saturday, September 16. Similarly, in Nimba and Lofa, large crowds gathered in cities, towns, and villages.

During the rally, Senator Nyonblee Karngar-Lawrence, deeply moved by the massive crowd, deemed the assembly Montserrado’s validation of the UP’s prediction of a one-round victory.

Corlineus Kruah, Montserrado County District #13 Lawmaker, asserted that the significant turnout sent a clear message to President George Weah that his government had faltered, presiding over Liberia’s worst leadership in the last five years.

However, some CDC supporters dismissed the UP’s gathering. Engaging in social media trolling, they claimed that images from the rally were manipulated and did not accurately represent the crowd’s size.

There is no denying that both the CDC and UP have drawn huge crowds at their rallies, affirming predictions by pundits and pollsters that the presidential race will predominantly revolve around these two parties.

We, are K-news declared you, our valuable readers as judges. Kindly send us your respective verdicts.