Liberia’s opposition coalition plans have hit a snag before they could even begin. Musa Hassan Bility’s Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) has pulled out of the process convened by former President George Weah at Jamaica Resort. Bility’s objection goes deeper than seats or personalities, arguing that a coalition built only to win elections would simply recycle the old order. This move tests whether Weah can hold the remaining leaders together and whether a young party like CMC can build a national base alone.
The CMC’s decision to walk away from the Jamaica Resort process was formalized in a letter to Weah dated September 23, 2026. Bility cited fundamental disagreements over governance reform, stating that the party will not be used to prop up the existing political order. The refusal comes barely two weeks after Weah hosted a high-level roundtable at his private Jamaica Resort in Thinker’s Village, Paynesville, on September 6, 2026. That meeting was attended by key figures including Alexander B. Cummings of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) and Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah of the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE).
Bility argued that forging a political alliance strictly for the purpose of winning an election, without first securing a concrete, binding agreement on constitutional, legal, institutional and economic reform, is a disservice to the Liberian electorate. He stated that the CMC was not created to serve as an appendage to existing political structures, but to challenge, reform, and replace a system of governance that has yielded little progress over the last two decades. The CMC’s sharpest critique was directed at Liberia’s traditional political divide, framing the Liberian electorate as being trapped in a false binary between the current administration and the immediate past administration led by Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
The CMC announced that it will independently engage civil society organizations, political parties and national stakeholders to test whether Liberians are ready to champion a “genuine third option founded on integrity, competence, transparency, and a new system of national leadership.” Bility emphasized that the decision was institutional rather than personal, stressing that the CMC remains open to issue-based collaboration on critical national priorities, such as electoral integrity, the rule of law and economic accountability. This openness depends on future engagements taking place among equal partners and being rooted in structural reform.
The CMC’s exit marks a setback for former President Weah’s broader political strategy. The Jamaica Resort summit resulted in the creation of a Technical Committee charged with drafting a unified communiqué. However, translating polite dialogue at a resort into a binding multi-party agreement is proving far more complex than the convener anticipated. By walking away from the draft communiqué, Bility and the CMC have effectively signaled that the road to a single, unified opposition candidate in 2029 will not run smoothly through the CDC’s headquarters.
Bility’s move has significant implications for the 2029 presidential contest. The opposition landscape is now more fragmented, with the CMC charting its own course. The party’s decision to pursue a “third option” could potentially attract voters tired of choosing between the Unity Party and a returning CDC. However, it remains to be seen whether this strategy will pay off, or if it will lead to a further division of the opposition vote.
There has been no response from the CDC, nor have Cummings, Freeman and Mason announced any decision on whether they will continue holding discussions. The development has left many questions about the future of Liberia’s opposition and the 2029 presidential contest. As the CMC begins to engage with civil society organizations and national stakeholders, it is clear that the road to a single opposition candidate will be longer and rougher than anticipated.
Key points
- CMC leader Musa Hassan Bility objects to coalition built solely to win elections.
- Bility pitches “third option” to voters tired of traditional parties.
- CMC’s exit tests Weah’s ability to hold opposition leaders together.
