Liberia’s leading opposition figures have completed the first round of talks aimed at forming a united political front to challenge President Joseph Boakai and the ruling Unity Party Alliance in the 2029 elections.
Former President George Weah, who led the discussions, described the meeting as positive and said the effort was focused on preserving Liberia’s peace and democratic governance.
“Peace in the country is more important than anyone,” Weah said Sunday in Paynesville, a suburb of Monrovia, where opposition leaders have been meeting.
The talks brought together about 30 political stakeholders Saturday. The leaders agreed to establish a steering committee that will draft a framework acceptable to all participating parties.
We met as political leaders and agreed to set up a steering committee that will develop a framework acceptable to all the parties,” said Simeon Freeman, leader of the Movement for Progressive Change. “It’s about working together.”
The committee is expected to begin work Monday, with opposition leaders scheduled to reconvene in two weeks to finalize a document that will give the opposition a coordinated platform to address national policy issues and hold the government accountable.
Alexander Cummings, leader of the Alternative National Congress, said the initiative was intended to represent the interests of Liberians.
“We will be advocating for you. We will hold this government accountable,” Cummings said. “They control the resources, and we want them to work on behalf of the Liberian people, not to selectively prosecute people.”
Musa Hassan Bility of the Citizens Movement for Change said the talks marked the beginning of efforts to create a common opposition front.
“This whole thing is about creating a common front,” Bility said. The process, he added, was intended to produce an opposition alliance capable of addressing the country’s challenges and challenging the government at the ballot box.
“It is about rescuing the Country from the rescuers, he said in a pointed jab at the Unity Party, which came to power promising to rescue Liberia from Weah and his Coalition for Democratic Change.
The discussions come as criticism of the early performance of the Boakai administration has renewed opposition hopes of making electoral gains in 2029.
Participants said the proposed alliance would seek to consolidate opposition parties and coordinate their response to national issues, with the ultimate goal of defeating the Unity Party-led government in the next presidential election.
