Liberia: CDC Refutes UP Accusations of Disrupting Activities and Assaulting Supporters
MONROVIA – The Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) through its National Campaign Committee has distanced itself from the violence that ensued between members believed to be supporters of the CDC and the Unity Party (UP) in District #10, Montserrado County by disrupting their activities.
On Tuesday, opposition UP in a media advisory revealed that its Standard Bearer Joseph Baokai will announce the party’s “full Rescue Mission Campaign team” at its headquarters in Airfield New Road, District #9, Montserrado County.
But the announcements soon turn sour when clashes ensue amongst supporters of the UP and the CDC, the ruling establishment. It is reported that the clashes were the result of provocation from supporters of the CDC who had also gone in support of President Weah who was visiting districts #9&10 as part of his campaign tour.
The unlawful event in Sinkor saw supporters believe to be from both parties clashing.
However, UP in a release accused partisans and militants of the CDC of disrupting the activities of their partisans who had gathered at VAMOMA to welcome their Standard Bearer.
Some supporters from both parties were reportedly injured.
But minutes after the UP’s statement, CDC termed the release as “false claims” by the Unity Party (UP) that partisans of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) disrupted their activities.
According to the CDC, the Weah-Taylor 2023 ongoing district engagements of its standard bearer and Vice standard bearer in Districts 9 and 10 of Montserrado County had been pre-announced a week ago on various national media platforms.
It added that it also communicated its key campaign dates to the National Elections Commission.
Signed by its National Campaign Spokesman Kanio Bai Gbala, the release added, “Despite the prior announcement, the Weah-Taylor 2023 Campaign Committee, recognizing that the Unity Party was seeking to provoke violence by deliberately ignoring the CDC’s prevailing Campaign Schedule by going ahead to plan their event on the same day.
Owing to this, Gbala said the CDC decided to postpone the prescheduled start of activities in District 9 for more than four hours to avoid any conflicts with UP Partisans who had announced a Press Conference for 10 Am on Thursday.
It added that “partisans of the Coalition for Democratic Change were brutalized by Unity Partisans during today’s activities”.
Like UP, Weah-Taylor 2023 Campaign Committee on its release also called on the attention of the National Elections Commission, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, the office of the ECOWAS representative and other well-meaning international partners to what it calls “flagrant provocation” from the Unity Party for timely intervention to avert future recurrence.
