–ANC Political Leader Calls for Smarter Opposition Cooperation, Warns Against “Crab Mentality” and Says CPP’s Failures Must Not Block Future Unity
BREWERVILLE CITY, MONROVIA — Alternative National Congress (ANC) Political Leader Alexander B. Cummings has called for a new approach to Liberian politics, urging political leaders to stop tearing one another down, compete through better ideas and work together in the national interest as opposition parties reopen discussions about cooperation ahead of the 2029 elections.
Cummings made the remarks Sunday after worshipping at New Water in the Desert Pentecostal Church in Brewerville City, outside Monrovia, where journalists questioned him about opposition cooperation, the recent political roundtable convened by former President George Manneh Weah and his own possible role in the 2029 political contest.
His comments came as Liberia’s opposition parties continue efforts to build a common platform. Recent talks involving several opposition groups produced agreement to develop a joint structure, although the parties stopped short of announcing a coalition, presidential ticket or specific leadership arrangement for 2029.
Cummings said the country needs political competition that lifts Liberia rather than deepens divisions.
“We gotta stop this crab mentality where we pull each other down. We should be working together to lift up the country.”
He argued that political leaders should be able to wish one another well without abandoning their responsibility to challenge policies they believe are harmful.
“We should wish each other well,” Cummings said, adding that Liberia should be pursuing a “race to the top” rather than what he described as a “race to the bottom of the barrel.”
“We are racing to the bottom of the barrel, and we should be racing to the top. We should be pushing each other with better ideas, supporting each other so the country can move up.”
Opposition Should Criticize — But Also Offer Solutions
Cummings defended the opposition’s responsibility to hold the Boakai administration accountable but said criticism alone was insufficient.
He said political parties should accompany criticism with practical alternatives capable of improving the country.
“We all should be not just criticizing because we can and should hold the government accountable, but we should also offer solutions.”
Cummings said he tries to follow that principle whenever he criticizes government policy, arguing that opposition recommendations should be considered on their merits.
He also challenged the government to listen to proposals coming from outside the governing establishment and implement those that would benefit Liberia and its people.
“I encourage the government to listen to the solutions, and implement it to benefit our country and our people.”
The position represents a call for a more policy-driven opposition as political parties begin positioning themselves for the next electoral cycle.
Cummings Says CPP Failures Must Not End Opposition Cooperation
Cummings also reflected on the collapse of the former Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), an alliance that brought together the ANC, Unity Party, Liberty Party and All Liberian Party before breaking apart ahead of the 2023 elections.
He acknowledged that those who participated in the CPP experienced failures that should inform future efforts at political cooperation.
“We were in the CPP and we were victims of that situation,” Cummings said.
But he argued that the experience should serve as a lesson rather than a permanent barrier to opposition cooperation.
“The mistakes of the CPP should not stop us from working together. And so we’ll just be smarter, wiser about how we do it, but we need to work together as a country, as a people.”
His comments come as opposition parties attempt once again to establish a workable structure, this time with leaders appearing more cautious about settling questions of leadership and electoral tickets before agreeing on how the alliance itself would operate.
2029 Question Remains Open
Cummings was also asked whether he would be willing to work with another opposition leader as a vice-presidential candidate in 2029.
He did not commit himself to a particular ticket.
Instead, he challenged the tendency to focus disproportionately on his own political ambitions.
“This is about Liberia, it’s not about me.”
Cummings suggested that journalists should put similar questions to other political leaders rather than treating his political future as the central issue in the opposition’s current discussions.
His response leaves his personal role in any future opposition arrangement open, even as his party participates in broader discussions about cooperation.
A Different Political Message
Cummings’ latest remarks represent a notable shift in emphasis from the more confrontational language often associated with opposition politics.
While he maintained that the government must be held accountable, he argued that political leaders should be capable of supporting policies that benefit Liberia regardless of which party proposes them.
His message also comes as opposition parties seek to avoid repeating the internal disputes that undermined previous attempts at political unity.
The central question for the emerging opposition arrangement is therefore no longer simply whether the parties can agree on the need for change, but whether they can build a durable structure capable of surviving disagreements over leadership, strategy and political ambition.
For Cummings, the answer appears to begin with changing the political culture itself.
“We can all win. It can be a win-win, and that should be our attitude, that should be our mindset as we think about our country.”
And when pressed about his own political future, his answer remained consistent:
“It’s about Liberia, it’s not about me.”
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