Liberian politician Musa Hassan Bility, leader of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), has publicly rejected the Congress for Democratic Change's (CDC) claim to ownership of the country's opposition. In an open letter to CDC members, Bility stated that being in opposition does not necessarily mean supporting the CDC. He emphasized that he has the constitutional right to aspire to the presidency, and his ambition is neither betrayal nor collaboration with the government.
Bility recalled that the CDC governed Liberia for six years but lost the 2023 presidential election. He noted that there has been no internal reckoning over the failures that contributed to the defeat, no comprehensive evaluation of what went wrong, and no willingness to acknowledge mistakes or apologize to the Liberian people. Instead, he argued that the CDC is trying to dictate that to be considered opposition, one must support the party.
The CMC leader emphasized that his party believes Liberia is heading in the wrong direction under the Unity Party government, but also believes that the only alternative cannot automatically be a return to the CDC. Many Liberians, he maintained, believe that neither the Unity Party nor the CDC represents the transformation the country requires, and they have every right to seek a new political direction.
Bility pointed out that the CDC made consequential decisions while in power, including the removal of a sitting Associate Justice of the Supreme Court under controversial circumstances. He asked if the CDC now believes that decision was wrong and if it would act differently in a similar situation in the future. These questions, he said, matter because a party seeking to return to power must demonstrate that it has learned from its experiences.
Bility also called for an honest discussion about the removal of Speaker J. Fonati Koffa from the Legislature. He charged that senior figures within the CDC joined forces with the Unity Party's political machinery to remove Koffa, which helped destroy the balance of power created by the Liberian electorate and weakened the opposition.
The CMC leader disclosed that his support for Koffa became the dividing line between him and the Unity Party government, resulting in significant business losses. He emphasized that opposition unity cannot be built upon selective memory, demands for loyalty, and refusal of accountability for past actions.
Bility concluded that his aspiration for the presidency is not a crime, and he will not abandon his convictions or surrender his political ambition. He urged his CDC friends to listen when he raises difficult questions and to be prepared to discuss the record of the former government and the conduct of the opposition since 2024.
Key points
- Musa Hassan Bility rejects CDC's claim to ownership of Liberia's opposition.
- Bility calls for accountability and discussion of past actions to achieve opposition unity.
- The CMC leader's presidential ambition sparks debate within Liberia's political landscape.
