MONROVIA, Montserrado – It was on Saturday, January 21 as the cool morning breeze blew from the Atlantic Ocean when partisans of the newly formed Coalition for Democratic Change began arriving at the party’s headquarter on Tubman Boulevard.

Supporters who had gone to grace the coalition’s first national convention were treated to good music and palm wine, as they anticipated the arrival of top officials of the party.

Traffic on Tubman Boulevard slowed down significantly as the Liberia National Police was called in to ease the flow of vehicles.

As the scene became emotionally charged and partisans jubilated, they sang songs and chanted lyrics such as “the cheating they depending on, it will not hold” and “monkey come down,” a reference to the ruling Unity Party’s use of a slogan in the 2011 elections that went, “monkey still working… let baboon wait small.”

In fact, some members of the crowd were seen carrying two caskets and announcing the demise of the President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, who is attempting to take over after Sirleaf.

Partisans at the Coalition for Democratic Change’s headquarter. Photo: Zeze Ballah

The new coalition intends to block Boakai’s ambitions. It comprises of the National Patriotic Party of former Liberian president Charles G. Taylor, the Congress for Democratic Change of football legend and now senator of Montserrado George Manneh Weah, and the Liberia People Democratic Party of former House Speaker Alex J. Tyler.

Representative Munah Pelham Youngblood of Montserrado’s ninth district nominated Weah as the standard bearer of the coalition. Within a party with many other big names that had expressed their intentions for the presidency, Weah was unchallenged for the position.

He accepted the nomination and announced Jewel Howard Taylor as his running mate for the October 10 general and presidential elections, in addition to detailing his party’s platform.

Weah promised a number of free services including early childhood education, maternity care at hospitals and clinics, and a waiver on fees for students taking the exams conducted by the West African Examinations Council. Those topics drew some of the largest applauses.

Weah, long known to struggle when making public speeches, appeared to make a few blunders during his speech, including referring to the date of the elections as October 17, one week after the scheduled date.

“I invite you to join this collaboration in order that we can bring victory to the Liberian people come October 17,” he said. “When good people refuse to vote, bad leaders come to power.”

Watch the full video below.

Featured photo by Zeze Ballah