Congress for Democratic Change
Congress for Democratic Change | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | CDC |
| Chairperson | Janga Augustus Kowo |
| Standard Bearer | George Weah |
| Ideology | Populism[1] Civic nationalism[2] Reformism[3] |
| Political position | Big tent[4][5] |
| National affiliation | Coalition for Democratic Change |
| Colours | Blue |
| Seats in the Senate | 9 / 30 |
| Seats in the House | 25 / 73 |
| Website | |
| cdcliberia | |
Congress for Democratic Change (abbreviated CDC) is a Liberian political party formed by supporters of George Weah during the 2005 presidential campaign.
History
Founding and 2005 election
The Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) was founded in 2005 around the presidential candidacy of former footballer George Weah, who became the party's standard bearer. In the 2005 Liberian general election, Weah placed first in the presidential poll on 11 October, winning 28.3% of the vote and advancing to a runoff against Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Unity Party. In the 8 November runoff election, Weah received 40.6% of the vote, compared with Johnson Sirleaf's 59.4%, and was defeated.[6]
Following the runoff, the CDC alleged electoral irregularities and called for a new election, despite international observers generally endorsing the credibility of the vote.[7] In December 2005, Weah announced that he would not appeal the National Elections Commission's rejection of the party's fraud allegations, effectively ending the dispute and allowing Liberia's post-war democratic transition to proceed.[8]
In the legislative elections held alongside the presidential election, the CDC won three seats in the Senate and fifteen seats in the House of Representatives, becoming one of the country's largest opposition parties.
Opposition period
Following the 2005 elections, the CDC became one of Liberia's main opposition parties during the presidency of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. In the 2011 Liberian general election, the party nominated Winston Tubman for president, with Weah as his running mate. Tubman and Weah advanced to the runoff against Johnson Sirleaf and Vice President Joseph Boakai, but the CDC boycotted the second round after alleging irregularities in the first round.[9]
Weah remained the party's leading national figure after the 2011 election. In the 2014 Liberian Senate election, he was elected senator for Montserrado County, defeating Boakai and strengthening his position within the CDC ahead of the next presidential election.[10]
Coalition for Democratic Change
In 2016, the party joined with the National Patriotic Party and the Liberia People Democratic Party to form the Coalition for Democratic Change ahead of the 2017 general election. The alliance was certificated by the National Elections Commission on 19 December 2016 and described itself as a new political entity based on the partnership of the three constituent parties.[11] It nominated Weah as its presidential candidate and Jewel Taylor as his running mate. Weah won the 2017 presidential runoff against Joseph Boakai, giving the CDC-led coalition control of the presidency for the first time.
Weah presidency and return to opposition
Weah served as president from 2018 to 2024. During his presidency, the CDC-led government promoted a "pro-poor" development agenda, while facing criticism over economic conditions, governance, and corruption allegations. In the 2023 general election, Weah again ran as the candidate of the CDC-led coalition. He narrowly lost the runoff to Boakai, receiving 49.36% of the vote to Boakai's 50.64%, and conceded the election.[12]
Ideology and platform
The Congress for Democratic Change has promoted a populist platform focused on economic development, employment, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and anti-corruption measures. During the 2017 election campaign, the party's manifesto, Change for Hope, was organized around four policy pillars: "Power to the People", "Economy and Jobs", "Sustaining the Peace", and "Governance and Transparency".[11]
The manifesto called for expanded access to education and healthcare, youth empowerment initiatives, economic diversification, agricultural development, infrastructure investment, decentralization of government institutions, and strengthened anti-corruption measures.[11]
Controversies
Sanctions and corruption cases involving officials
During and after Weah's presidency, several officials associated with the CDC-led government faced sanctions or corruption-related allegations. In August 2022, the United States sanctioned Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel McGill, Solicitor General Sayma Syrenius Cephus, and National Port Authority managing director Bill Twehway under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program for alleged public corruption.[13]
In December 2023, the United States designated Jefferson Koijee, the mayor of Monrovia and a senior CDC official, for alleged human rights abuses and corruption.[14]
Former finance minister Samuel Tweah also served as a campaign manager for the CDC.[15] He was later charged in connection with an alleged US$6.2 million corruption case, but was acquitted by jurors in May 2026 after prosecutors failed to prove the charges.[16]
Electoral history
Presidential elections
| Election | Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First round | Second round | |||||
| 2005 | George Weah | 275,265 | 28.27% | 327,046 | 40.60% | Lost  |
| 2011 | Winston Tubman | 394,370 | 32.68% | 62,207 | 9.29% | Lost |
| 2017 | George Weah[a] | 596,037 | 38.37% | 732,185 | 61.54% | Won  |
| 2023 | 804,087 | 43.83% | 793,914 | 49.36% | Lost | |
- ↑ Ran as candidate of the Coalition for Democratic Change
House of Representatives elections
| Election | Vote | % | Seats | +/– | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 157,753 | 15.97% | 15 / 64 |
New |  1st |
| 2011 | 163,592 | 12.84% | 11 / 73 |
 4 |
2nd |
| 2017 | 239,754 (as part of CDC) |
15.57% | 21 / 73 |
15 |
1st |
| 2023 | 401,921 (as part of CDC) |
22.12% | 25 / 73 |
4 |
 1st |
Senate elections
| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 252,677 | 15.97% | 3 / 30 |
New | 3rd |
| 2011 | 259,161 | 20.20% | 3 / 30 |
|
3rd |
| 2014 | 135,897 | 29.78% | 4 / 30 |
1 |
3rd |
| 2020 | 246,908 | 28.02% | 6 / 30 |
2 |
2nd |
| 2023 | 620,892 (as part of CDC) |
34.26% | 9 / 30 |
3 |
1st |
References
- ↑ Adejumobi, Said, ed. (27 December 2015). National Democratic Reforms in Africa: Changes and Challenges. Springer. p. 51. ISBN 9781137518828. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ↑ "President Weah Accepts Bassa People's Reelection Endorsement". Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ↑ "Liberian economy front and centre of Weah's state of the nation speech". Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ↑ "George Weah vows to change Liberia's citizenship laws". Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ↑ Bensimon, Cyril; Kadiri, Ghalia (29 December 2017). "Liberia : " George Weah a joué de son statut de fils du peuple "". Le Monde.
- ↑ "2005 Presidential Run-Off Election Results" (PDF). National Elections Commission of Liberia. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ "Loser in Liberian Election Seeks New Vote". The New York Times. Reuters. 13 November 2005.
- ↑ Polgreen, Lydia (22 December 2005). "World Briefing: Africa; Liberia: Soccer Star Drops Election Dispute". The New York Times.
- ↑ "Liberia opposition threatens to boycott presidential runoff". The Guardian. Associated Press. 25 October 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ "George Weah wins seat in Liberia's Senate". The Guardian. Reuters. 28 December 2014.
- 1 2 3 "Change for Hope: Equal Opportunity for All Liberians" (PDF). Coalition for Democratic Change. 2017.
- ↑ "Liberian President George Weah concedes election defeat to Joseph Boakai". Reuters. 18 November 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ "Treasury Sanctions Senior Liberian Government Officials for Public Corruption". U.S. Embassy in Liberia. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ "U.S. Treasury Department Designates Mayor of Monrovia Jefferson Koijee for Human Rights Abuses and Corruption". U.S. Embassy in Liberia. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ "Minister Samuel Tweah is now Campaign Manager". The New Dawn Liberia. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ "Jurors Acquit Former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah in $6.2 Million Corruption Case". Global News Network Liberia. 9 May 2026. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
