MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Citizens Movement for Change Political Leader Musa Hassan Bilily has proposed a broad framework for rebuilding Liberia’s opposition politics, calling for political parties to develop a common national agenda and a formal “contract” with voters before deciding who should lead a united opposition.
Bilily’s proposal came in response to an invitation from the Congress for Democratic Change for an opposition leaders’ roundtable scheduled for September 5.
While declining the invitation in its present form, the CMC political leader made clear that his party is not opposed to opposition cooperation.
Instead, he argued that lasting unity requires more than bringing political leaders into one room. It must begin with agreement on what the opposition stands for, what it intends to change and how participating parties will share authority.
At the center of Bilily’s proposal is the idea that opposition parties should first develop a common diagnosis of Liberia’s problems.
He wants political parties to jointly assess the country’s political, economic, governance, security and democratic conditions and identify the failures they believe must be corrected.
The parties would then establish a shared set of principles and national priorities capable of guiding their collective political action.
But Bilily’s proposal goes beyond an internal opposition agreement.
He wants the opposition to produce a clearly defined “contract with the Liberian people,” setting out what a future opposition government would defend, change and deliver.
Such a document, if adopted, could provide voters with a clearer basis for judging competing opposition parties and could shift political competition away from personalities and toward agreed policy commitments.
Bilily also wants the parties to settle the rules of their relationship before creating a central leadership structure.
His proposed framework includes decision-making procedures, conflict-resolution mechanisms and clearly defined responsibilities for each participating political organization.
He argues that leadership should emerge from that negotiated process rather than being assigned in advance.
The CMC leader has proposed dividing the work among four interconnected levels.
Political leaders would determine the broad vision and principles. National chairpersons would oversee the institutional coordination, while secretaries general would develop the operational arrangements.
A technical team with equal representation from the major participating parties would then be responsible for drafting a proposed framework.
That document would return to the political parties for review, amendment and final approval.
Only after the framework is adopted would the parties establish collective leadership, a secretariat or formal coordinating authority.
The proposal reflects Bilily’s concern that opposition unity could become fragile if parties enter the process believing that one institution or political figure already controls the emerging alliance.
In his response to CDC National Chairman Janga A. Kowo, Bilily acknowledged former President George Manneh Weah’s position as CDC political leader and accepted that the CDC could convene an exploratory discussion.
But he rejected the notion that convening the first meeting automatically creates authority over the broader opposition.
For the CMC, the distinction is fundamental: a meeting can be hosted by one political party, but any structure claiming to represent the collective opposition must be created and approved collectively.
Bilily’s position could force opposition parties to confront difficult questions before attempting to build a common political platform.
Among them are how leadership should be selected, how disagreements should be settled, how individual party interests should be balanced and what policy commitments all participating parties would be required to accept.
The CMC has therefore left the door open.
Bilily said his party would participate if the proposed September 5 gathering is transformed into a genuine preliminary consultation in which all parties participate as equals and no predetermined leadership or outcome is imposed.
