IPNEWS: The opposition meeting called by former Liberian President George Manneh WEAH, has come and gone.
However, ordinary Liberians are less interested by the formation of another collaboration, which many view may soon vanish as the CPP and other collaborations in the past have done.
The Sunday gathering, presided over by former President and CDC Political Leader George Manneh Weah, ended with participating opposition parties agreeing to establish a Steering Committee tasked with developing a framework to guide their political collaboration going forward.
STEERING COMMITTEE TO DEFINE THE ROADMAP
Under the agreement, the Steering Committee will comprise two representatives from each participating political party. Its principal responsibility will be to formulate a framework document outlining the structure, principles, scope and operational mechanism of the proposed collaboration.
Importantly, the initiative is not being presented as an electoral alliance or a predetermined 2029 presidential ticket. Instead, it is intended to create an institutional foundation for cooperation and provide a mechanism through which participating parties can collectively engage national political issues.
WHO WAS AT THE TABLE?
The roundtable brought together several prominent opposition political figures, including:
* Mr. Alexander Cummings, Political Leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC);
* Rep. Musa Hassan Bility, Political Leader of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC);
* Mr. Simeon Freeman, Political Leader of the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC);
* Amb. Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Political Leader of the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE) and former Foreign Affairs Minister;
The All Liberian Party (ALP), led by businessman Benoni Urey, was represented at the gathering.
Senior CDC figures also participated, including former House Speaker of the 54th National Legislature Dr. Bhofal Chambers, and other party officials.
Sunday’s development represents another attempt by Liberia’s opposition forces to overcome political fragmentation and establish a more coordinated platform.
The establishment of a Steering Committee may represent a more deliberate attempt to build opposition cooperation from the ground up.
However, the real political test may not be the signing of agreements or creation of committees—it will be whether the participating leaders can manage competing ambitions, resolve disagreements and maintain trust long enough to translate political cooperation into sustainable collective action.
With the 2029 elections still ahead, the process remains at an early stage. No common presidential candidate or electoral ticket has been announced.
For now, the Steering Committee has been given the responsibility of developing the framework that could determine whether Sunday’s roundtable becomes another short-lived political arrangement—or the foundation of a more enduring opposition coalition.
In may be recalled, in early 2018, the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) was formed by the Unity Party (UP), the All Liberian Party (ALP), the Alternative National Congress (ANC), and the Liberty Party (LP).
The coalition brought together four major opposition groups to challenge the ruling government O George WEAH: Unity Party (UP): Led by NOW President Joseph Boakai, a former vice president, All Liberian Party (ALP): Led by Benoni Urey, Alternative National Congress (ANC): Led by Alexander Cummings, and the Liberty Party (LP): Led by Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence and other officials.
The parties signed a framework agreement to work together, with a goal to present a single, strong candidate against the administration of President George Weah.
They wanted to fix economic hardship and hold the government accountable.
Following its certification by the National Elections Commission (NEC) in 2020. By February 2022, the ALP and UP had withdrawn from the alliance. By March 2022, a large faction of the LP had left as well. In April 2024, the CPP had officially dissolved.
The coalition faced deep internal arguments and trust issues over leadership and candidate selection.
After the breakup, the parties went their separate ways for the 2023 elections, where the Unity Party eventually won the presidency under Joseph Boaka
Already, Jamaica Resort meeting has seen several “missing links,” internal disputes, and fractured alliances that threatened opposition solidarity:
1. Structural Disputes and Leadership Skepticism
A primary friction point stemmed from the framework of the meeting. Musa Hassan Bility, the political leader of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), had initially snubbed the roundtable’s planned structure.
Bility argued that a true coalition cannot begin with a “predetermined leadership and authority” imposed by Weah and the CDC.
He insisted that any collective framework must treat all participating parties as equal negotiation partners.
2. The NPP Coalition Fallout and Boycott Rumors
The roundtable exposed deep fissures between the CDC and its former coalition partner, the National Patriotic Party (NPP).
CDC Secretary-General Jefferson Koijee dismissed the NPP’s public resistance as mere “grandstanding,” claiming the party as a whole was never formally invited, though select members were approached individually, however, NPP Chairman George Mulbah maintained that even if a formal invitation were issued, the party would completely boycott the event due to their troubled historical baggage with the CDC.
3. Legal and Political Tensions Surrounding Jewel Howard-Taylor
The timing of the meeting overlapped with severe national political strain. Weah’s former Vice President, Jewel Howard-Taylor, faces legal action regarding an ongoing $317 million drug case. Upon returning to Liberia, Weah fiercely criticized the prosecution, labeling the charges as “bogus” and accusing the incumbent government of tampering with the justice system. The legal vulnerability of a key opposition figure cast a shadow over the roundtable’s broader democratic motivations.
The Outcome
Despite these initial rifts and public disputes, prominent political figures—including Alexander B. Cummings (ANC) and Benoni Urey (ALP)—joined the talks at Jamaica Resort. The leaders concluded the two-day summit by resolving to appoint two representatives from each political party to a joint committee. This committee’s primary task will be to map out a stronger, unified coalition strategy to ensure they do not repeat past alliance mistakes moving toward 2029
