By: Christopher S. Bestman

Monrovia, Liberia – July 31, 2024:

In a passionate address delivered to the nation, former President George Weah condemned recent actions by the Unity Party (UP) administration under President Joseph Boakai, alleging a pattern of political repression aimed at silencing dissent within the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the broader opposition community.

Addressing the nation at the headquarter of the CDC, Former president Weah highlighted a series of “unlawful detentions” ordered by the UP administration on July 29, which reportedly involved heavily armed security personnel taking former government officials into custody without any indictments from a grand jury. Among those detained are four former members of the National Security Council.

“This latest transgression by the Boakai Administration is a clear political maneuver designed to undermine the rule of law and disrupt the stability of our state,” says Weah.

The former president enumerated several key grievances against the current administration, including what he characterized as systematic harassment of civil servants based on political affiliations and excessive use of force against protesting citizens that has resulted in several deaths. He also criticized the UP for failing to prosecute election-related deaths that occurred in plain view, as well as ignoring the country’s tenure laws despite rulings from the Supreme Court.

Weah criticized President Boakai recent removal of Central Bank Governor of Liberia as indicative of a broader disregard for legal processes, stating, “The President again showed to the nation that he does not respect the rule of law when he sought to illegally remove the Governor.”

Stressing the importance of upholding democracy and human rights, former president George Weah proclaimed that the CDC would employ “all legal and political means” to resist the UP perceived weaponization of the judicial system for narrow political gain. He called on members of the opposition to unite against what he termed as “dangerous games of witch-hunt” perpetrated by the Boakai administration.

“We must not allow the Unity Party to politicize justice or threaten the peace and stability we have fought for over the years,” Weah stated, voicing his pride in the CDC record of maintaining national security throughout his presidency, even during the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Turning his attention to the fight against corruption, Weah reiterated the significance of treating all audit reports from the General Auditing Commission fairly and transparently. He alleged that the UP selective legal actions represent a political weaponization of anti-corruption efforts, aimed squarely at officials from his administration while sparing their own wrongdoing during their tenure in power.