Rainbow Alliance (Liberia)

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The Rainbow Alliance (RA) is a political alliance in Liberia. Its current constituent parties are the Victory for Change Party, True Whig Party, and Democratic Justice Party.

History[edit]

By June 2020, twelve political parties had signed a declaration of intent to collaborate and create a political alliance. The parties signatory to the declaration were: Victory for Change Party (VCP), Vision for Liberia Transformation (VOLT), Democratic Justice Party (DJP), Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE), Grassroots Democratic Party of Liberia (GDPL), Redemption Democratic Congress (RDC), Change Democratic Action (CDA), New Liberia Party (NLP), Liberia Restoration Party (LRP), People's Unification Party (PUP), True Whig Party (TWP), and Union of Liberian Democrats (ULD).[1] The RA was founded with the purpose of contesting the 2023 presidential election. It also sought to minimize the number of political parties in Liberia. The Collaborating Political Parties thanked the RA in its efforts toward achieving this goal.[2]

On August 31, 2020, the RA was certified by the National Elections Commission (NEC), with seven constituent parties. The parties were the VCP, VOLT, DJP, MOVEE, RDC, ULD, and TWP. Leader of the TWP, Reginald B Goodridge Sr., served as the interim chairman of the alliance.[3][4] Goodridge had previously served as information minister under Charles Taylor.[5] At the time of its founding, the RA was the largest group in Liberia in terms of number of constituent political parties. The RA opposed the 2020 referendum, claiming it to be unconstitutional.[6] The RA unsuccessfully contested the 2020 Senate elections with 10 candidates.[7]

In July 2021, the RA made its framework document public.[8] By March 2022, VOLT withdrew from the RA.[9] By October 2022, MOVEE withdrew from the RA.[10] In March 2022, the ULD and RDC left the alliance. The RA complained to the Board of Commissioners of the NEC that the ULD and RDC left without following the procedures for withdrawal, including paying dues. The Board of Commissioners sided with the ULD and RDC, ruling that the framework document, which superseded the RA planning document, contained no penalty for withdrawing from the RA.[11]

The RA held its first national convention on October 29, 2022, in Paynesville.[4] Interim Chairman Goodridge was elected standard bearer of the alliance.[12] The RA did not contest the 2023 presidential election.[13] In the 2023 Senate election, one RA candidate, Ranney B. Jackson, ran for office in Bong County unsuccessfully.[14] The RA also contested the 2023 House elections with no victories.[15][16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2nd Political Collaboration Emerges -Rainbow Alliance Sprouts against CDC". The Analyst. June 8, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  2. ^ "Liberia: 11 Political Parties Form 'Rainbow Alliance' through Collaboration". FrontPage Africa. May 23, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  3. ^ "NEC Certificates Rainbow Alliance to Participate in the Ongoing Elections". National Elections Commission. 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Rainbow Alliance Goes to National Convention October 29". The Independent Probe Newspaper. October 24, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  5. ^ "Liberia: Opposition Leader Threatens Legal Action Against President Weah over '27-Year-Old Lie'". FrontPage Africa. April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  6. ^ "The Rainbow Alliance Gets NEC Authorization, Frowns on Breaches to the Liberian Constitution". FrontPage Africa. August 7, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  7. ^ "2020 SENATORIAL ELECTION RESULTS". National Elections Commission. 2020. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  8. ^ Kollie, Alfred (July 28, 2021). "Rainbow Alliance Launches Framework Document, Ahead Of 2023 Elections". News Public Trust. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  9. ^ Peters, Lincoln G. (March 29, 2022). "Rainbow Alliance cracks, Dr. Whapoe withdraws membership". The New Dawn Liberia. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  10. ^ Teh, Lewis S. (October 14, 2022). "MOVEE leaves Rainbow Alliance". The New Dawn Liberia. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  11. ^ Karmo, Henry (December 22, 2022). "Liberia: NEC BOC Commissioners Upholds Hearing Officer's Ruling in Rainbow Alliance Case". FrontPage Africa. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  12. ^ "Goodridge Elected RA Standard Bearer -As Rainbow Coalition Holds 1st Nat'l Convention". The Analyst. November 8, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  13. ^ "2023 Presidential Elections Results". National Elections Commission. 2023. Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  14. ^ "2023 SENATORIAL ELECTION RESULTS". National Elections Commission. 2023. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  15. ^ "ELECTIONS 2023: In House Of Representatives, CDC Captures 25 Of 73 Seats, While UP 10, And Independent Candidates 18 Seats". Global News Network Liberia. October 22, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  16. ^ "2023 Candidate Nomination House of Representative Aspirants Preliminary List" (PDF). National Elections Commission. 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
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