Cdcians In The Struggle

-Seven Years Ago When Protest Turned Deadly

It is barely seven years ago today when officials and members of the party cried on November 7, 2011 over the loss of their partisans while struggling for national leadership.

The governing CDC prior to winning the historic 2017 elections has always been a political force to reckon with, which made it the main opposition political party during the twelve-year rule of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

After losing the 2005 general and presidential elections in the country, the year 2011 was a year of optimism, when the CDC realized that the long wait has finally arrived, but the eve of the 2011 Presidential Run-Off Elections between Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Cllr. Winston A. Tubman became a nightmare.

It was seven years ago today when disenchanted partisans gathered at the headquarters of the party in Congo Town asking all supporters to boycott the November 8, 2018 Presidential Elections Run-Off due to dissatisfaction with the announcement of the first round of results from the National Elections Commission (NEC).

The then Presidential Candidate of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), Cllr. Winston Tubman pulled out of Tuesday’s vote, alleging fraud.

The rioting broke out after thousands of CDC supporters gathered outside the party’s headquarters to urge voters to boycott Tuesday’s poll.

In the first round, the CDC came second with 33% of the vote, while Sirleaf’s Unity Party took 44%. As neither had won at least 50% plus one valid vote, a runoff was scheduled.

At least one person was reportedly killed during the protest, but some CDC officials alleged that at least four people were killed.

Police, backed by UN forces, reportedly blocked a road to prevent the CDC activists from marching through the city, before the shooting and stone-throwing broke out.

But today the CDC that once cried while in opposition is now in the driving seat of the land, commanding the nation and its people amidst series and indefinite protests too ranging from different sectors and segments of the Liberian society.