Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MONROVIA69
2009-01-21 08:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Monrovia
Cable title:  

LIBERIA: CDC CONVENTION FAILS TO HEAL RIFT IN PARTY

Tags:  PREL PGOV EAID LI 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1182
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHMV #0069/01 0210832
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 210832Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY MONROVIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0705
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MONROVIA 000069 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/07/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID LI
SUBJECT: LIBERIA: CDC CONVENTION FAILS TO HEAL RIFT IN PARTY

REF: 2008 MONROVIA 377

Classified By: Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield for reasons 1.4 B and D.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MONROVIA 000069

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/07/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID LI
SUBJECT: LIBERIA: CDC CONVENTION FAILS TO HEAL RIFT IN PARTY

REF: 2008 MONROVIA 377

Classified By: Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield for reasons 1.4 B and D.


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Congress for Democratic Change (CDC),the
largest opposition party in Liberia, has been fractured into
two since April 2008 (reftel),with one faction supporting
2005 presidential candidate George Weah and the other
against, arguing that the uneducated soccer star left Liberia
for the States and is out of touch with his country. The
pro-Weah faction, which is led by Geraldine Doe-Sheriff and
still holds of majority of CDC members, used the occasion of
Weah's first visit to Liberia in a year to hold a mid-term
party convention January 4-6 and elect their supporters to
all the leadership positions within the CDC. The National
Elections Commission (NEC) resolved to ignore any results
from the convention because the party's legitimate
leadership, the anti-Weah faction led by Joshua Sackie, was
not invited to attend. Instead, NEC Chairman James Fromayan
said Weah's "undemocratic behavior" within the party raises
serious questions about how democratic he would be if he ever
actually won an election. Weah, who appeared to lack the
charisma and conviction of a serious presidential candidate,
told the Ambassador he remains interested in running for
President under the CDC banner in the 2011 elections. END
SUMMARY.

CDC'S MOCK CONVENTION
--------------


2. (U) A leadership rift within the Congress of Democratic
Change (CDC) party began last April when its Chairman Joshua
Sackie said he thought the uneducated soccer star and 2005
presidential candidate George Weah was no longer fit to be
the party's standard bearer, especially since he was not
living in Liberia. A pro-Weah faction led by Geraldine Doe
Sheriff allegedly forged a resignation letter from Sackie and
took over the party de facto (reftel). The National
Elections Commission (NEC) investigated the dispute and ruled
that Sackie never officially resigned. The NEC determined it
would continue to identify Sackie as the official CDC
Chairman until the party held a convention -- per its own
constitution -- and all CDC delegates formally voted on who
should be in charge. (NOTE: CDC's constitution does not

provide any other mechanism to remove a Chairman. END NOTE.)


3. (C) Weah came to Liberia during his winter break from
studies at DeVry University in Florida to give the keynote
address at a January 4-6 mid-term convention organized by his
supporters within the party. The pro-Weah faction, however,
refused to invite the anti-Weah faction whom NEC still
recognizes as the legitimate leaders of the CDC. Not
surprisingly, Doe-Sheriff and other Weah- supporters were
elected to all party leadership positions. Weah compared
himself to Barack Obama in his keynote address saying, "We
share youthful energy for our cause, passion for our nations,
love for our people, and a strong commitment to change."


4. (C) The NEC ruled the convention "illegitimate" and said
it would not recognize the party election results. In
retaliation, the pro-Weah CDC faction called NEC Chairman
Fromayan a "Unity Party stooge" and vowed to boycott the 2011
election if he is still the Chairman. Fromayan, who says he
has never been a member of the Unity Party, told PolOff he
was disgusted that the nation's biggest opposition party had
gotten caught up in a power struggle and lost sight of all
the important issues. He said he was particularly concerned
that if Weah could be so "undemocratic" in his party, then it
raised serious questions about how democratic he would be if
he ever really won an election.

THE AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH WEAH
--------------

5. (C) Weah expressed his interest in running for President
again in 2011 during a December 22 office call on the
Ambassador. He insisted that he remains a resident of
Liberia and is in the United States only temporarily, but
said that he is not expected to graduate until 2010. Weah
brought along the leadership of his faction of the party,
including Doe-Sheriff, Secretary General Eugene Nagbe, and
Deputy Secretary General Acarious Gray, whom he described as
his "eyes and ears" on the ground in Liberia while he is in
the United States.


6. (C) Weah was quick to criticize the Unity Party
government, arguing that corruption had "never been worse" in
Liberia. The Ambassador countered that there has always been
corruption but Sirleaf's Government was the first one to take
a hard stance against it. She said the press was reporting
on specific corruption cases now because it is finally safe
to do so. Weah gave no concrete ideas as to how he would
tackle corruption.


MONROVIA 00000069 002 OF 002


COMMENT
--------------


7. (C) If CDC remains the strongest opposition party and the
population holds the Sirleaf Government to unrealistic
expectations about the pace of development, Weah may score
well in the 2011 election due to his name recognition. Weah
may compare himself to Obama, but appears to us to lack the
charisma and conviction of a presidential candidate. In his
December 22 meeting with the Ambassador, he was reluctant to
veer off his talking points and appeared to have no original
solutions to propose for the challenges facing Liberia. When
the Ambassador pressed him for clarification or elaboration
on particular issues, he was often happy to let Doe-Sheriff,
Nagbe, or Gray answer. Weah still commands a following of
youth because of his star power and soccer prowess, but his
absence from Liberia to study in Florida has made him
increasingly disconnected from the issues affecting the daily
lives of his would-be partisans. He has the support of a
majority of the CDC's membership but his unwillingness to
hold a legitimate election for the party's leadership
positions calls into question his commitment to democracy.
THOMAS-GREENFIELD