MONROVIA – Musa Hassan Bility is betting that Liberians are tired of choosing between two old giants. The Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) leader has pulled back from the CDC-led opposition talks. He insists the move is about political culture, not animosity toward former President George Manneh Weah. His plan is a “Third Lane” coalition for 2029, standing against both the Unity Party and CDC blocs. The pitch rests on large promises: free college, free primary healthcare and a deep cut to the Legislature’s budget. He names where the money would come from but offers no detailed costing. As THE ANALYST reports, his exit also leaves an already fragmented opposition with one more lane to manage.
The Political Leader of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), Musa Hassan Bility, has declared that his party will not merge into the shadows of Liberia’s traditional political giants, opting instead to build a distinct “Third Lane” alternative ahead of the 2029 elections.
Speaking on his recent decision to pull back from the opposition coalition talks initiated by former President George Manneh Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), Bility clarified that the move is rooted in a fundamental disagreement with the current political culture rather than personal animosity.
Bility acknowledged his long-standing personal relationship with and past political support for Weah, noting that his support for Weah in previous elections even caused a two-year strain in his relationship with his mentor, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. However, he emphasized that personal friendship does not dictate his political path.
“George Weah is my friend. I have supported him in the past from his senatorial bid to the presidency. When Brumskine did not make it in the second round in 2017, I supported Weah; when Mr. Cummings did not make it in 2023, I supported him. I’m not in his party, I don’t report to him; the structure that they have put together, I don’t believe in that structure,” Bility stated. “At this time, I want his supporters to understand that I have no intention whatsoever to support anybody in the 2029 election besides myself.”
Rejecting the UP and CDC Shadows
According to Bility, the CMC was formed as an independent movement because the country’s governance structure over the last 170 years, including the eras under both the Unity Party (UP) and the CDC, has failed to meet the expectations and aspirations of the Liberian people. He stressed that his party refuses to simply fall behind the existing major political forces.
“We have no intention to get lost into the shadow of the Unity Party. We have no intention to get lost into the shadow of the CDC. We are our own party. We are treading our own path,” Bility said.
Instead of joining existing structures, Bility explained that the CMC is consulting with prominent Liberian stakeholders, pressure groups, and like-minded political parties to construct a “Third Lane” coalition. This alliance, he noted, will compete directly against both the UP-led and CDC-led blocs, giving Liberians three clear choices at the ballot box.
Proposing Systemic Reforms and Fiscal Cuts
Outlining his vision for governance, Bility argued that fixing Liberia requires practical economic management, empowering local businesses and agriculture, and returning government authority directly to the people.
He proposed significant fiscal adjustments to fund social services, asserting that Liberia can afford free education up to the college level, including at private institutions such as Cuttington University, United Methodist University (UMU), and African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU), as well as free primary healthcare.
He also called for a cut in legislative waste by reducing the Legislature’s US$60 million-plus (about L$10.9 billion) budget by US$40 million (about L$7.3 billion), stripping away duty-free concessions from major corporations, and capturing hundreds of millions of dollars currently lost in port revenue and tax leakages.
On electoral governance reform, he advocated for citizens to directly elect their own county superintendents, city mayors, and local councils, taking authority away from centralized power structures in Monrovia and returning it to the people.
Addressing his personal background, Bility highlighted his journey as a self-made entrepreneur who once worked as a motor car boy, tailor, and farmhand to pay for his secondary mission school education, stating that this real-world experience gives him the practical credentials needed to manage the economy.
Why Bility Believes He Should Lead
Boldly asserting his ambitions for 2029, Bility declared that he possesses the right credentials, experience, and practical knowledge required to transform Liberia, claiming he can manage the country better than anyone currently seeking the presidency.
“I believe that I can be a better president than anybody who wants to be president at this time. I believe I have the credentials. I believe I have the experience,” Bility asserted. “What needs to deliver this country today is how we can manage the economy, is how Liberia can take over their own economy, and how we can use government resources to empower Liberians.”
Unlike traditional politicians, Bility pointed to his background as a self-made entrepreneur who worked his way up from the bottom without relying on government handouts. He highlighted his journey as a “bootstrapper” who worked on the streets, served as a motor car boy, worked as a tailor boy, and labored on mission school farms just to pay for his secondary education.
He argued that his hands-on experience in business, agriculture, and practical work gives him the exact skill set needed to fix the national economy, cut government waste, and generate revenue.
Bility stressed that while rival politicians talk about leadership, he knows the precise fiscal formulas required to take back lost revenue from the Freeport of Monrovia, slash legislative waste, trim corporate duty-free exemptions, and redirect those funds directly into social welfare programs.
Critique of Budget Performance
When asked about the current government’s announcements regarding a US$1.2 billion (about L$218.8 billion) budget framework, Bility described the claims as propaganda if they do not impact the daily lives of ordinary citizens.
While praising the team at the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) led by Dorbor Jallah for its strong performance in revenue collection, Bility criticized how the government spends those funds. He argued that instead of consuming the revenue, the government should keep and invest funds in agriculture and poor farmers to create local employment.
He said it is not in the interest of the government to toy with budget figures and neglect the needs of the people.
He chided the government for running propaganda around the budget performance, stating, “the government is interested in the figure but not on the impact the increase in the revenue haul has brought to the people.”
Why CMC Expects Voter Buy-In
Explaining why he believes the Liberian electorate will embrace the CMC, Bility stated that citizens are exhausted by a political system that has failed to deliver on their expectations for over 170 years.
He argued that voters are eager for a credible alternative that does not force them to choose between the traditional political blocs.
According to Bility, Liberians will buy into the CMC’s “Third Lane” because it offers a radical departure from traditional failure, stating that neither the UP nor the CDC has fulfilled the aspirations of the people despite having held power. He said the CMC has a completely new ideology, governing structure, and political culture.
He also said that the CMC brings to the polity direct systemic reforms that empower citizens, such as amending the governing structure so that Liberians can directly elect their own county superintendents, city mayors, and local councils rather than having Monrovia make decisions without consulting them.
The Nimba County lawmaker, who has been traveling the world to meet Liberia’s diaspora community and market the CMC, said the party’s platform directly addresses everyday household burdens by proposing free primary healthcare and free college education for all Liberians, extending tuition-free access beyond public institutions to include private universities such as Cuttington, UMU, and AMEU.
“We have no intention to get lost into the shadow of the United Party. We have no intention to get lost into the shadow of the CDC,” Bility said. “We are treading our own path… we will attempt to put together a coalition of Liberian political stakeholders, interest groups, pressure groups, and political parties to create the ‘Third Lane’ coalition, and that coalition will be able to deliver Liberia.”
Bility ended by urging both the public and rival political parties to respect the CMC’s independent stance as it builds its alternative platform. “We are creating our own force, we are creating our own alliances that will lead us to the government,” Bility concluded.
“I have no intention, nobody should harass me… It is my right. I want people to respect that.”
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