SPRINGFIELD, PA – Former President George Manneh Weah has ordered the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) in the Americas to elect disciplined, incorruptible, and “battle-ready” leaders as the party begins its reorganization ahead of the 2029 general elections.
Weah gave the mandate Thursday while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 National Convention of the CDC-USA in Springfield, Pennsylvania. Addressing a packed hall of partisans, chapter leaders, and dignitaries, the CDC Political Leader said the party needs a new breed of leadership capable of leading a national comeback.
“This convention must elect battle-ready leaders — disciplined, incorruptible, and committed to the struggle,” Weah charged the delegates. He told the gathering that internal disagreements that had rocked the CDC-USA in recent months should not be seen as weakness, but as proof of passion. “What you call friction is the natural byproduct of passionate people debating, with conviction, how best to achieve shared goals,” he said. The former Liberian leader opened his speech with a moment of silence for gospel artist Minister Miracle Kettor and other fallen partisans, before paying glowing tribute to the diaspora.
“You represent some of Liberia’s brightest minds and most committed patriots. You have sustained the economy. You have kept it breathing through some of its hardest hours, and history will always remember that,” he told the crowd. Weah then turned sharply to national issues, accusing the Unity Party-led government of waging war against the rule of law. He cited police brutality, the removal of the House Speaker, the expulsion of lawmakers, and what he described as the influence of a “cartel of drug traffickers” within the government.
“This is a government at open war with the rule of law, and it must not be allowed to stand,” Weah declared. “Every Liberian who believes in the Constitution, every Liberian who believes that no man is above the law, has a stake in this fight.” Despite the blistering attack, Weah framed his message as a national call, not a partisan fight. He invited all Liberians, including those who voted for the current administration in good faith, to join a new movement. “The Liberia we are rebuilding belongs to every Liberian,” he said. “The CDC seeks to support a broad and inclusive coalition — bigger, stronger, and better than the one we built together in 2017 — because Liberia’s future will not be secured by one party alone.”
He closed with a rallying cry that sent the hall into chants. “A movement built by the people cannot be destroyed by propaganda. A movement built on hope cannot be defeated by setbacks,” Weah proclaimed. “The CDC is alive. The CDC is united. The CDC is organized. The CDC is energized. And the CDC is coming back to power.” Declaring the convention officially open, he added: “Let the message leave here today — The road to 2029 begins now.”