The Congress for Democratic Chaos (CDC)

By: ralph geeplay

This week, there were laughter in the streets of Monrovia and the international community especially amongst Diaspora Liberians that Winston Tubman and his Congress for Democratic Chaos (CDC) literally went to Sirleaf with hat in hand begging for government jobs. Excuse the sarcasm please, but how not the Chaos Party since all of their actions and statements depicts pandemonium and disorder. There is something about this party that is very very troubling and deeply wrong even for the cursory observer. What’s interesting at this point of the game is the absurdity of Winston Tubman! It should be cleared by now that 

 he will not be the standard bearer of the CDC  Come 2017, He is too old.  

He should have bowed out long ago and left the CDC to push its own agenda! Tubman has behaved erratically since becoming the standard bearer of the CDC (not that he have a record to stand on) going against every norm and virtue of international diplomacy, his professed forte, showing that the chameleon has not changed spots. Remembered he has been with the grand old True Whig Party (TWP), the National Democratic Party (NDPL), all ruling parties and the Liberian National Union (LINU), and now the CDC.

The admission by the CDC this week that it is trading its position for government jobs in order to stop its street protests is insane! No one is buying their story that the November - October 2011 elections was flaw. Any continue protest on their part should see the police and the law in action. “The CDC threats are vain, and so is their hostage taking situation as far as moving the country forward. They have this winner take all situation mindset. Why did they not reject their legislative seats if they claim there were "massive fraud" during the October vote?” ponders Harry Johnson, a Liberian.

President Sirleaf should be careful with the CDC and what positions she offered that erratic party, say analysts. The main reason the chaos party did not go to the presidential run off was because it knew it would have lost. When the elections commission announced that the incumbent Sirleaf could not attained the required constitutional 50 percent plus one vote, Winston Tubman and George Weah publicly broke into a dancing fiesta that was capture on cameras by the Liberian and international press, having withdrawn earlier from the vote, as it was apparent that Sirleaf was kicking as.es and was on her way to victory! Days leading up to the run off, the CDC immediately started courting Prince Johnson, who with 11 percentile points to his advantage, would possibly have gotten the CDC on top to the Executive Mansion. They also courted fourth place finisher Charles Walter Brumskine and his Liberty Party for the crucial run off votes. They made no success on both fronts. Conflicting reports form George Solo, party deputy spokesman, Acarus Gray, its silly Secretary General and George Weah continue with threats of boycott and violence. The news of boycott came to the CDC standard bearer as a total surprise.

 Winston Tubman was heard as saying he was the final one who could make that decision, "No one told me of the boycott. I was not approached. As the standard-bearer, I have to sign such decision. I did not sign it," referring to his party code of conduct that calls for such boycott. The Analyst, a Monrovia daily quoted him as saying; it also added “recent media reports quoted the co-opted but now seemingly isolated standard-bearer..." Tubman promised the party would go into the run off elections, to the disagreement to those within the party who were pulling the strings. To make matter worse, all their negotiations went no where with all the political leaders and parties; they all endorsed Sirleaf.

It was prince Johnson’s doing though, that placed the icing on the cake! The moment he announced he wasn’t supporting the party of chaos, it went to war immediately, claiming the votes were stacked against them. It has always been a CDC mantra to challenge the ballots even before the votes are counted. In 2009, a CDC Representative Rufus Neuville, made similar threatening remarks against the election commission as an important senatorial elections were pending, claiming there would be votes rigging and the CDC would take matters in their own hands to correct the situation, his statement greeted public outcry! He was neither denounced by the party. Geraldine Doe Sheriff of the CDC went on and won the important Montserrado senatorial post. 

During the recent referendum, it made similar statements, claiming there would be "massive fraud." It wasn’t so. Even as far back as January 2010, Star Radio reported and quoted the ‘almighty’ CDC secretary general, Acarus Gray as saying “Unless a non-partisan is brought on onboard, the party will create an ugly situation that will disrupt the 2011 elections.” Prophesy? The Liberian Dialogue also quoted Gray! To satisfy their demands, James Fromoyan, the election commissioner, resigned his post before the run off. Gray was heard again talking from the side of his mouth, saying the move was “Insufficient and belated," while promising to give Liberians "a bitter Liberia…” negotiations however continue with the party on the way forward according to observers, with international diplomats and impeccable election observer envoys from reputable organizations like the Carter Center and President Obama urging the chaos party to go into the run off! 

They refused fearing defeat. Tubman, say observers at this point is a stooge. He’s being used by individuals within the CDC and for some strange reasons he is going along. The CDC seems to be is his last political ride, but don't be surprised tomorrow if you see him wearing a Unity Party Hat!

“Winston Tubman is an interesting political character. He has flirted and associated himself with all former ruling parties in Liberia. His recent partnership with the National Patriotic Party (NPP) of Charles Taylor completes the mission,” says Patrick Nyemah. He shocked observers and diplomats recently for the sake of being expedient, when he promised to welcome Charles Taylor back to Liberia with open arms. 

The message was also heard by members of the United States Congress loudly, many were appalled that Tubman was that bold. Jesse Jackson Jr., amongst others, issued a statement condemning Tubman for being insensitive to the plight of the Liberian people considering Taylor’s crimes! Weah had also made similar declaration about a year ago. Another Liberian, concerned about Tubman attitude says, “The true character of Tubman was on display when he accepted to be Dictator Samuel Doe justice minister in 1986,” says Steven Wooploo. “You have to understand that all the major political players in the country were convinced that Doe had overstayed his welcome and had rigged the elections in conjunction with Emmett Harmon. He accepted this position when Samuel Doe was persecuting the respected Jackson Doe, Gabriel Kpolleh etc and the Liberian intelligentsia! This is the man who claimed he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize." Some have said, Tubman will join any bandwagon.

Tubman has no political convictions he goes with the wind, Anthony Myers opine in a FrontPage Africa op-ed recently, “If nothing else defines Cllr. Tubman politically,” he said, “the fact that he has no history of advocacy for social, economic and political justice for the masses of Liberians clearly marks him out as an elitist and apologist of dictatorships.” He appears weak and seems not to be the one running the show in the CDC, say analysts. For example, Tubman said nothing about the defiance of Geraldine Doe Sheriff and Acarus Gray to resign their party posts as they sought to be placed on their party ballots for senatorial and representative posts, virtually his ultimatum was ignored; they both won their party primaries and are now elected as legislators to the 53^rd Assembly. He has said nothing about the public flogging of his party mobilization chief Mulbah Morlu and Doe Sheriff at party headquarters a fortnight ago by disgruntled CDC partisans; said nothing about the petrol bomb traced to CDC partisans that destroyed the car of the former sec. gen. of the CDC Lenn Eugene Nagbe. And  also,  has said nothing about the recent petrol bomb thrown at the home of the party chairman Doe Sheriff, when she and other partisans call a meeting to disassociate themselves from the unauthorized demonstrations being planned by Weah and Tubman. The violence within the CDC has been eminent.

To many, Winston Tubman has done his country a disservice in recent times. When ECOWAS summoned him to Abuja on November fourth, to warn him and his CDC, that their actions were atypical to the post war peace that Liberians sought after almost two decades of war, he showed little concern. The regional body made it clear to Tubman that he was in Abuja to be told it would not tolerate the CDC’s shifting positions and its desire to destabilized Liberia and the region. The UN, the U.S., AU, the donor and international observer missions to the elections also added their voices. Tubman still remained unfazed.
But he has shown flexibility at times, but it was always short live, showing a man who has lost his way, perhaps confuse politically and shaky has a leader.

Days after the run off was held, Tubman conceded in an interview with the AFP, when he said “Since Mrs. Sirleaf will now claim she is the president and is recognized by the international community, we have to find a way to work with her and I believe it is not beyond our ability to find a way for that to happen," Wrote Fran Blandy. But “On Saturday however,” the reporter said “in an apparent about-turn, he slammed Sirleaf's Unity Party as "election hijackers.” Tubman and Weah immediately called for an unauthorized street demonstration which they called a vigil with an underbelly for violence, that saw one dead. Although, the CDC said the dead was eight! Showing restraint and appeasement, the government allowed the CDC to marched unauthorized in the streets with symbolic coffins, this seems to have emboldened the party further! President Sirleaf should be careful with what positions the presidency offered the CDC, they are insincere! 

“It is not that political parties should not be co-opted into the government, but the way the CDC have gone about things  speak volumes. Its chief strategist now include the egomaniac John Morlu, the man who have compared himself to cocoa-cola, and referred to his perceived enemies as "dogs." It could disrupt her second term agenda if she is not mindful,” said Charles Williams.