Ahead of the 2011 general and presidential elections more opposition politicians have crossed carpet to the ruling Unity Party (UP).
The move comes in a wake of the recent merger of two opposition political parties - Liberia Action Party (LAP) and Liberia Unification Party (LUP) - with the UP.
At brief ceremony held at the UP headquarters Friday, a dozen opposition politicians - all from the United People's Party (UPP) - pledged their total loyalty to the ruling party with solemn commitments.
Those who crossed carpet to the UP include Mr. Thomas Romeo Quioh, Gabrie Tarplah, Brown Pour, Joseph K. Roberts, Sylvia T. Campbell, and Nyankoon Davis. Others are Victoria Wiah J. Cordohman Seedee, K. Sylvester Pyne William Miller and Major T. Samukia.
Speaking during programs marking the formalization of their membership to the UP, Mr. Thomas Romeo Quioh said he was joining the Unity party with a "solemn" commitment and to help shape the destiny of Liberia to posterity.
He said as Liberians witness the drawing of a new challenge and a new social order which harbors the promise of "hope," the UP-led government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has clearly given the people of Liberia reason to believe in themselves, their dreams, hope and aspirations.
"We recognized that political pluralism is a fundamental benchmark of democratic institutions. Hence, our action therefore should not be construed as an attempt to undermine the integrity of this old adage; but rather be viewed with the realism that it is not the multiplicity of political parties that matters most, instead, the creation of viable political institutions capable of serving as instruments of constructive dialogue in nation-building," Quioh noted.
According to Mr. Quioh as formal member of the UPP, he has "willingly joined the UP without pre-condition but certainly not to sit at the edge of the clay rather to work and ensure that the aims and objectives of the party are actualized through our collective effort of all partisans while at the same time marking sure of sweeping victory in 2011."
For his part, the first Vice Chairman and now acting Chairman of the UP, Mr. Mambu David, thanked his collogues for the decision to join the UP terming the party as the grass root party.
He said it was satisfactory and rewarding for all politicians with the same ideology to come together under umbrella in moving the country forward.
It can be recalled that the ruling UP has received lot of commendation in recent months with the most recent coming from the Chairman emeritus of the formal ruling National Patriotic Party (NPP) Chief Cyril Allen and Mr. Darius Dillon of the opposition Liberty Party of Cllr. Charles Brumskine.
Prior to the recent crossover several other politicians have given their loyalty to the UP in the warm up to the 2011 elections which political pundits say will be one of the toughest elections in the country's history.
Already dark clouds are hanging over the prospect of the country's second postwar election as members of the National legislature are dragging their feet on the passage of the threshold bill that allocates the number of electoral constituencies in the country.
The National Elections Commission says the delay in passing the bill will pose detrimental effect on 2011.
Despite mounting calls from the international community including g the US government and the UN, civil society organizations and the religious community, the Legislature has given no heed and remains adamant.
While politicians are crossing carpets and political parties forming merger or deciding coalitions, none of them have spoken on the issue, a disappointment to the public.
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I admire Mr. Thomas Romeo Quioh and all others who merged with UP. This is a step towards what Liberia along with the rest of West Africa needs; joint efforts to improve the infrastructure of the country. I also congradulate Maddam President, and the rest fo the Unity party for there new memebers of the team. Continue to put the people first after God.
Mr. Woewiyu: My last comment is to Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia . I am deeply saddened by your insensitivity to the plight of the deplorable state of existence Liberians are in today. When you finally muster the courage to mount the platform of reconciliation before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, it would have behooved you to simply tell the truth that President Doe was such an atrocious leader that we the people had to pressure him out of power. You should listen to your own utterances and see if what you have been saying about your involvement with the civil uprising makes sense. You admit giving Charles Taylor $10,000.00 to start a war. While people were dying, you claim to have withdrawn your support. Who is responsible for those who died before you supposedly withdrew your so-called support? You cannot set a house on fire and disavow responsibility because of disagreement with your fellow arsonist. Your "Harvard education" should have taught you that about the commission of a crime. There are people right in Monrovia who gave you $50,000.00, $100,000 hard cash which you passed on for the support of the NPFL. How about the $50,000.00 that you gave to Mr. Allen Brown, Sr. with which he bought the rice to feed the fighters? I am sure Liberians know now that the Browns are your partners in other businesses. But more pertinent is the fact that you have rewarded the Browns and their Sinkor Trading Company the exclusive rice supply contract for the nation and even funded the start up with government money. When God curses you, you cannot help yourself. As for your threat to continue your lawsuit against me after your term of office, you should be ashamed of yourself for the callousness and insensitivity you portray towards the fragile peace and reconciliation of the Liberian People by that threat. Your threat from the platform of the reconciliation forum shows how vain and vile you are. Your future lawsuit means nothing to me. At the corruptive rate that your administration is going, you just might end up in jail for the same rampant corruption that you and the PRC executed 13 government officials in 1980. Were you not a very very good friend and advisor to General Quewonkpa and the regime at the time of those executions? In a short while, I will give more charges to add to your lawsuit. The nation should know that your threat is about now. You are senile enough to think you can intimidate me.
I hope you people are crossing over with the interest of rebuilding Liberia not finding means of employmen. I am seen this because this is the common behavior of our Liberian politicians. Because we know this is what Baccus Mathew used to do, even he when so low until he worked for Mr. Taylor as a PRO officer what a disgrace to man kind.
Is Cllr.Charles Walker Brumskine, commending the UP Government of Mama Ellen? Bravo UP! You're doing just what is needed.Maybe, the 2011 elections will be another "Hurricain Mama Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf". Politicians, join the UP or get ready to hang your political Booths.It's the fact!
hahahahahaha, i wondered if we really have a truthful and visionary politicians in our country beside thus socalled glories seeker,anyway iam not a memeber of the ruiling party but i will like to advice the president and her party to be careful with these jobs seekers who crossing over to her party ahead of 2011 election because we saw some of these people during the regime of DOE,they left thier respective partines and joint former president DOE's ruiling party the NDPL in search for a better job but at the end turned against him and RIDE his government into corruptions and mismanagement of public funds and we also saw them again in former president taylor's government,they used to worship taylor like jesus christ but at the end led taylor into errors and even testified against him at the world court in the huge and making sure that mr.taylor remain in the huge for lifetime.so Mme president,be careful and dont feel that you are the best president in the world this is why these socalled politicians are crossing carpet to your party,they are all betrayers and only seeking your down fall.be wise and stop celebrating so soon. from.sam waylee in doha-qatar.
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