MONROVIA, LIBERIA – A fierce debate has erupted between Dr. Lester Zomatic Tenny, a former member of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), and Samuel D. Tweah, the former Minister of Finance, over the performance of the George Weah administration compared to the current government led by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. The discourse has highlighted sharp political and economic divisions, with both figures defending their opposing views on Liberia’s governance.
Dr. Tenny, who has since distanced himself from the CDC, dismissed any comparison between Weah’s first year in office and that of President Boakai, calling such claims “an oxymoron.” He accused the CDC government of fostering what he termed a “dark economy” driven by illicit financial practices. According to Tenny, the Weah administration quickly plunged Liberia into economic instability, with a failing macroeconomic foundation by the midpoint of its first year. “By mid-first year, Weah’s dark economy of laundered and drug money was fully in operation,” he said, adding that President Boakai inherited an economy riddled with structural weaknesses.
Samuel Tweah, however, responded sharply, accusing Tenny of hypocrisy and dishonesty. He claimed that Tenny privately praised Weah’s economic policies while publicly condemning them. “That dishonesty will not serve us well in this country,” Tweah remarked, as he mounted a defense of the CDC administration’s economic record.
Highlighting economic data, Tweah argued that the Weah administration inherited a fragile economy in 2018 but managed to stabilize and improve it across various metrics. He pointed to an increase in net international reserves from $110 million in 2017 under the Unity Party to $240 million by the end of 2023. He also noted reductions in inflation rates and the depreciation of the Liberian dollar. Tweah emphasized that while the Liberian dollar lost 136% of its value under the Unity Party, the CDC government limited depreciation to 43%.
Tweah further underscored the CDC’s development achievements, including community road projects, free registration for WAEC and WASSCE exams, tuition-free education for public university students, and the training of medical professionals abroad. He contrasted these efforts with what he described as a lack of meaningful progress during the Unity Party’s first year in power. “Unity Party has nothing to show in year one,” Tweah declared.
In defending the CDC’s governance record, Tweah referenced former President Weah’s adherence to the rule of law, citing his compliance with Supreme Court rulings on tenured officials. He claimed that such respect for judicial decisions was absent during the Unity Party’s tenure. Tweah also took aim at the Boakai administration’s handling of governance and transparency, questioning the legitimacy of the 2024 budget and accusing the government of lacking accountability. “Today, a Liberian president is being threatened with treason for signing an illegal budget,” he said.
The former finance minister also noted Weah’s democratic values, pointing to his concession of the 2023 election before the final results were announced. In a pointed critique, Tweah suggested that the Unity Party might not exhibit the same grace in future elections. “We will see whether ‘Rescue’ will concede similarly in 2029,” he remarked, using the Unity Party’s campaign slogan mockingly.
Dr. Tenny remained steadfast in his criticism, asserting that the CDC’s mismanagement left the Unity Party with a precarious economy. He accused the Weah administration of failing to address systemic economic issues and leaving behind what he described as a “nostalgic broken economy.”
