By Pewu Y. Sumo
Monrovia, Liberia – Two major opposition political parties, The Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE) today, May 7, “strongly and unequivocally” condemned the recent violent attack on Hon. Yekeh Kolubah, expelled Representative of District 10, Montserrado County, in Ganta, Nimba County. The incident occurred while Hon. Kolubah was on what both parties described as “peaceful political tour.”
In a joint statement released in Monrovia, the two political parties described the attack as “cowardly, disgraceful, and completely unacceptable in a democratic and civilized society.” They emphasized that such actions pose a grave threat to Liberia’s peace and stability.
“What occurred in Ganta is not an isolated incident,” the statement reads. “It represents a dangerous escalation in the growing campaign of intimidation, political intolerance, and lawlessness that has increasingly characterized the conduct of the Boakai-Koung Administration and elements operating around the current government.”
The CDC and MOVEE said they consider this assault “not merely as an attack against one lawmaker,” but as an attack on democratic participation, freedom of movement, and the constitutional rights of all Liberians. They expressed concerns about what they described as “disturbing patterns of abuse of state authority, blatant disregard for the rule of law, police-linked violence and brutality, suppression of dissent, political witch-hunt and persecution, growing intolerance toward opposing political voices, clamp down on freedom of speech, and other human rights violations” under the current administration.
The statement continues, “Liberians are now witnessing the steady reemergence of a dangerous political culture where intimidation and aggression are increasingly being used to silence critics and opponents of the government. This path is reckless.”
The parties referenced Liberia’s historical challenges, stating that “violence tolerated today becomes instability tomorrow.” They warned that any attempt to use fear, mob violence, political intimidation, or state-backed aggression to suppress democratic voices would be met with resistance through all lawful and democratic means.
They affirmed that Hon. Kolubah, like every Liberian citizen, possesses the constitutional right to move freely throughout the Republic and to engage in peaceful political activities without fear, harassment, or violence. They emphasized that “no county, district, or community in Liberia belongs to any political party. Liberia belongs to all Liberians.”
The CDC and MOVEE urged Hon. Kolubah not to be intimidated or discouraged, reiterating that the Liberian Constitution guarantees his right to speak, organize, assemble, and politically engage in every part of the country.
The two opposition political parties called upon the diplomatic community, United Nations, ECOWAS, the African Union, civil society organizations, the media, student groups, and the religious community to urgently call out the Boakai Administration before these dangerous developments escalate further. “Silence in moments like these only emboldens political violence,” they stated.
The statement concluded with a call to protect Liberia’s democracy and a warning that “those who seek to drag the country backward into fear and instability must never be allowed to succeed.”
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