By Our Reporter | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – The Congress for Democratic Change and the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE) have strongly condemned what they described as a violent attack against Montserrado County District 10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah during a political engagement in Ganta, Nimba County.
In a joint press statement issued on Thursday, May 7, 2026, both opposition political parties accused elements linked to the Unity Party-led government of promoting political intimidation and intolerance, while warning that Liberia’s democratic stability could be under growing threat.
The statement alleged that Representative Kolubah came under attack while conducting what the parties described as a peaceful political tour in Ganta.
According to the release, the incident was “cowardly, disgraceful, and completely unacceptable in a democratic and civilized society.”
The parties further claimed that the incident was not isolated but instead reflected what they described as an increasing pattern of political hostility under the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung.
“What occurred in Ganta is not an isolated incident,” the statement said. “It represents a dangerous escalation in the growing campaign of intimidation, political intolerance, and lawlessness that has increasingly characterized the conduct of the Boakai-Koung Administration and elements operating around the current government.”
The CDC and MOVEE argued that the alleged assault against Representative Kolubah should be viewed as an attack on democratic participation and constitutional freedoms rather than merely an incident involving one political figure.
“CDC and MOVEE consider this assault not merely as an attack against one lawmaker, but as an attack on democratic participation, freedom of movement, and the constitutional rights of all Liberians,” the statement added.
The two parties also accused the Boakai administration of fostering what they termed a dangerous political climate marked by intimidation, suppression of dissent, and intolerance toward opposing voices.
According to the release, the current government has allegedly demonstrated “disturbing patterns of abuse of state authority, blatant disregard for the rule of law, police-linked violence and brutality, suppression of dissent, political witch-hunt and persecution, growing intolerance toward opposing political voices, clamp down on freedom of speech, and other human rights violations.”
The statement further warned that Liberia risks returning to a political culture where fear and aggression become tools for silencing critics and opposition figures.
“Liberians are now witnessing the steady reemergence of a dangerous political culture where intimidation and aggression are increasingly being used to silence critics and opponents of the government,” the parties stated.
Describing the situation as reckless, the CDC and MOVEE cautioned that Liberia’s painful political history demonstrates the dangers of tolerating violence and intimidation within the democratic space.
“Liberia’s painful history teaches us that violence tolerated today becomes instability tomorrow,” the statement warned.
The opposition parties stressed that any attempt to use violence, fear, or state-backed intimidation to suppress democratic activities would be resisted through lawful and democratic means.
They also encouraged Representative Kolubah not to be discouraged by the alleged attack, emphasizing that every Liberian has the constitutional right to freely move, organize, and engage politically throughout the country.
“No county, district, or community in Liberia belongs to any political party. Liberia belongs to all Liberians,” the statement declared.
The CDC and MOVEE further called on the international community, including the United Nations, ECOWAS, the African Union, civil society organizations, religious institutions, media entities, and student groups, to closely monitor developments in Liberia and speak out against what they described as growing political intolerance.
“Silence in moments like these only emboldens political violence,” the statement said. “Liberia’s democracy must be protected.”
The release was signed by CDC National Chairman Janga A. Kowo and MOVEE National Chairman Prince Mehn.
