MONROVIA – Gbarpolu County Senator Amara M. Konneh has issued a sharp reflection on the governing Unity Party’s recent political show of strength, urging the ruling establishment to realign itself with the values of its late founder, Dr. Edward Binyah Kessely. In a detailed commentary released Saturday, December 6, 2025, the senator framed his critique through a probing question: “What would Dr. Edward Binyah Kessely, founder of the Unity Party, say to his party today?” His analysis drew heavily from Kessely’s writings in Liberia Today & Tomorrow: Some Personal Reflections.
Senator Konneh said Dr. Kessely, having endured the political turbulence of the 1980s, would commend President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for maintaining stability, safeguarding civil liberties, and avoiding reprisals against opponents. He argued that Kessely, who was once targeted for his political convictions under past regimes, would recognize the progress made in ensuring basic freedoms under today’s Unity Party administration. According to him, Kessely would “share his insights on Liberia’s historical struggles, old Liberia versus new Liberia, and leadership challenges,” while acknowledging the improved political environment.
The senator also noted that Kessely would have taken pride in the Unity Party’s return to power through a tight election secured by a broad-based coalition. Konneh emphasized that the UP founder would caution the party not to repeat the mistakes of the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change. He wrote that Kessely “would remind his party how their main opposition ignored members of its winning coalition after 2017, contributing significantly to its 2023 loss,” urging the Unity Party to protect and value its alliances.
Reflecting on Liberia’s governance history, Senator Konneh asserted that Kessely would warn against exclusion and entrenched inequality, which haunted the political landscape during his era. Konneh said Kessely would highlight how marginalization deepened resentment and widened social and economic gaps. He explained that the founder “would make hopeful calls for good governance, responsible citizenship, national unity, and development,” particularly in light of the ongoing unemployment crisis facing Liberian youth.
Konneh argued that Kessely would press the Boakai administration to put economic revival and job creation at the center of its agenda. While acknowledging the President’s foreign policy achievements, especially renewed engagement with the United States, Konneh said Kessely would advise him to deepen ties with Liberia’s neighbors. He wrote that Kessely would urge the government to “embrace regional diplomacy, trade, and commerce more, especially with his three neighbors,” to stimulate growth and expand opportunities for Liberians.
The senator added that Kessely would have expected stronger cohesion within the governing coalition. Drawing attention to the Unity Party’s newly acquired headquarters, Konneh suggested that Kessely would have attended recent events of allied parties and expected reciprocal gestures at Saturday’s gathering. He argued that such participation reflects mutual respect and reinforces coalition stability.
Senator Konneh also stressed that Kessely would demand greater political discipline from the ruling party. He said the founder would urge “more integrity, respect for the code of conduct during party rallies,” reminding UP partisans that they once criticized officials of the former regime for wearing political attire while holding public office. According to Konneh, Kessely would warn that without corrective action, the Unity Party risks “a vicious cycle of political governance where those in power repeat the mistakes of their predecessors.”
In his reflection, Konneh noted that Kessely’s message would extend to the entire nation. He said the founder would encourage Liberians everywhere, home and abroad, to cultivate genuine patriotism, reject corruption, promote unity, and take active roles in shaping a better future. Konneh described this as a national obligation, not just a political expectation.
The senator concluded his analysis by acknowledging the size of the Unity Party’s turnout during its weekend headcount, comparing it to the large political rallies once associated with the former CDC government. But he issued a caution that political displays must now yield to serious governance. “I hope we can all get back to governance, hopefully better governance, beginning Monday,” he wrote, emphasizing the need for tangible improvements “in socioeconomic indicators and statistics, and in the number of families who are not struggling to meet their basic needs: the ‘bread and butter!’”
Konneh closed with a pointed appeal to the ruling establishment, urging them to break Liberia’s long pattern of political repetition. “Be different!” he declared, signaling both a warning and a challenge to the Unity Party as it approaches the midpoint of its six-year mandate.
