A senior official of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change’s Montserrado County chapter has urged the party to withdraw the appointment of National Secretary-General Jefferson Tamba Koijee to coordinate its upcoming extraordinary convention, citing concerns over impartiality and internal democracy.
Montserrado, Liberia’s most populous county and a key CDC stronghold, remains central to the opposition’s electoral prospects. George Weah won 62.9% of the county’s vote in the 2017 presidential runoff but narrowly lost it to Joseph Boakai in 2023, underscoring the county’s importance to the party’s political fortunes ahead of its December convention.
Eugene S. Joboe Jr., the chapter’s vice chairman for inter-party affairs, said Koijee’s appointment could undermine confidence in the convention because the party official is also expected to contest a position on the National Executive Committee.
In a letter dated Oct. 31 to CDC Chairman Janga Augustus Kowo, Joboe called for the appointment to be reconsidered and proposed that a neutral individual or committee oversee preparations for the convention, scheduled for December.
Joboe argued that placing a prospective candidate in charge of coordinating the process in which he intends to compete could create a perceived conflict of interest and raise questions about equal treatment for other aspirants.
“The fundamental principles of democracy demand fairness, transparency, and equal opportunities for all contestants,” Joboe wrote, warning that the arrangement could erode confidence among party members.
He also described the appointment as a departure from the CDC’s established practices, saying he was unaware of any similar arrangement in the party’s history.
