"Unification is lacking among the opposition; hopefully, we will work on that. Right now, it's a worst territory for the opposition. But we will be fine eventually. I see the opposition aligning before the elections; they will realize it. Forget about all the bluffing that is going around here; we will all come together."
"We are close to resolving, and we will resolve the issues at Liberty Party and reconcile our Party in the best interest of the Country, our Party and Partisans! What is at stake 2023 is bigger than any of us or group of persons. Liberty Party will be whole again and even better, strong. The time is NOW than ever before! We will do so void of sentiments and personal, individual issues, setting aside petty, real or imagined hard feelings. We have the duty to ensure so!"
Monrovia - The death in 2019 of Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, the late political leader of the opposition Liberty Party left a massive void in one of the major political parties in Liberia. Since Cllr Brumskine's death, the party has been in disarray, with opposition rivals scrambling to win the party's support and alliance in hopes of gaining an edge in next October Presidential elections.
One faction of the party headed by its chairman, Musa Hassan Bility has endorsed the candidacy of Mr. Alexander Cummings, of the Alternative National Congress, while another headed by Senator Abraham Darius Dillon and Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence have declared their support for former Vice President Joseph Boakai and the Unity Party.
The split is a major reason why the two opposing sides have been dragged in court since their respective decisions to go in opposition direction, with backing to Cummings and Boakai.
In June, then Justice-In-Chambers of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Sien-Nye Yuoh, now Chief Justice of the high court, denied a petition filed against Bility and the party's Secretary-General Martin Kollah by Political Leader Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence and other former executives over the alteration of the constitution of the LP. In February, Senator Lawrence filed a lawsuit against Mr. Bility and Martin Kollah over the alleged altering of the LP's constitution.
LINGERING FEUD
According to Justice Youh at the time, the NEC had committed no errors in its handling of the LP case(s), and the multiple NEC rulings that the LP Constitution was valid pending an amendment through the LP procedures or unappealable ruling from a court of law were in line with established and know Political Party procedures.
She emphasized that the commission was not required to enforce the LP Farmington MOU, agreed to by both Parties, but rather to receive an amended Constitution from LP, reflecting that the agreements reached in the MOU had been implemented by the Parties themselves.
The Justice then ruled that the claim by the Petitioners that the NEC "facilitated" actions by the Defendants did not have merit.
Prior to the court ruling, the two sides were also embroiled in another battle involving misrepresentation.
The LP's National Executive Committee through the National Chairman, Bility filed a complaint against several members of the party for fraudulently representing themselves as Liberty Party's officials, using the party's name in public communications and purporting to be authorized to act or speak on behalf of the Party when they were suspended for not paying dues in keeping with the constitution of the Liberty Party.
Although Senator Lawrence and others sought dismissal of the case, the NEC rejected the notification of the motion for dismissal.
Bility and Kollah stated that the respondent's lawyers in an attempt to dismiss the complaint filed on February 16, 2022, advanced two arguments, that the Complaint was 'illegal as there was no link between the Complainant and Respondent and the Complainant lacked legal capacity and standing to bring the Complaint since they had been "expelled and suspended"; and that the Commission lacked jurisdiction to hear the Complaint brought by the Plaintiff since the Commission's Board had already ruled in the matter regarding the LP Constitution'.
The court squabble was also a contributing factor that led to the withdrawal of the Unity Party from the Collaborating Political Party (CPP).
The CPP was formed as a group of four opposition political parties, including the All-Liberian Party (ALP), Alternative National Congress (ANC), Liberty Party (LP) and Unity Party (UP) after the 2017 elections with the aim to defeat the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) in the coming 2023 Presidential Elections.
For much of the past few months, however, the CPP had been rocked by division, allegation of framework document altering, and disagreement between UP Standard Bearer Joseph Boakai and ANC Political Leader Alexander Cummings as to who heads the CPP in the 2023 elections.
Announcing his party's withdrawal from the CPP at a news conference on February 16, 2022, UP Leader Joseph Boakai said:" The decision to withdraw from the CPP followed failed efforts to resolve the internal impasse." Mr. Boakai said consultations were held with eminent persons, religious leaders, CPP political leaders and legal practitioners for a way forward but to no avail.
The issue at LP has always been about the unauthorized alteration of our Constitution. It has never been about who endorses who leading to 2023 elections.
Despite the perceptions that the squabble between the Bility faction and the Nyonblee-Dillon factions, Senator Dillon asserts that differences has never been about who endorsed who. "The October 2, 2021, ruling clearly settled the dispute which some people failed to appreciate and accept. It is on said principles that some of us have stood our grounds to ensure the proper thing is done."
In that ruling, Associate Justice Jamesetta Wolokollie upheld a Memorandum of Understanding signed at the Farmington Hotel the 2nd of October 2021 in Margibi County.
FARMINGTON REDUX
At the meeting, members of National Advisory Committee of the LP met to resolve internal conflict within the party, which has been rocked by acrimonious internal wrangling.
At the end, Party's officials adopted a resolution, a copy of which is in the position of this paper. The party, among many things, agreed to withdraw its constitution that is currently at the National Elections Commission and seek procedure to submit a new one. The decision to do so became necessary at the Farmington meeting after it was agreed that the current constitution at the National Elections Commission (NEC) is different from what was agreed at the party's Grand Bassa County Executive Sitting held in 2020.
For Senator Dillon, the Farmington MOU was supposed to be a settlement of the dispute over the party's constitution. "The MOU says exactly, verbatim what our Constitution should be that was illegally changed. The illegal change has always been the issue. Has anyone asked why has Musa been so bent on not allowing the correction to the Constitution as contained in the MOU and upheld at the Court? Did you not hear when the Court provided the Court's Library for both parties to use as venue to correct the illegal changes. Amid all of that, we are still willing to resolve the issue and move on as a united party in the best interest of what lies ahead of all of us as a country. Are they willing and ready? We will need actions, concrete good-faith actions, not words any longer!"
ALL EYES ON LP
The party's decision not to field a candidate for the presidency next October has been a key reason why many of its rivals have been clamoring for support and alliance - and the attraction toward the party is a no brainer.
The party's performance in previous elections have been impressive. Mr. Brumskine received nearly 14% of the vote, 6% less than the second-place candidate, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. In 2011, Mr. Brumskine finished a distant fourth behind the incumbent Sirleaf, with only 5.5 percent of the votes. In the 2017 elections, Mr. Brumskine secured 9.62%.
The split in the opposition has been a key reason the opposition bloc continues to struggle in gaining traction and momentum against the incumbent President George Manneh Weah, in the buildup to next October elections.
CHATTERS OVER CONVENTION
On the eve of the party's convention in Gbarnga, Bong County this weekend, the party once again finds itself entangled in yet another potential setback.
This week, the National Elections Commission (NEC), through its chief hearing officer Cllr. Muana S. Ville, instructed Mr. Musa Bility, chairman of Liberty Party, to halt all pending convention activities.
In a communication dated November 2, 2022, the NEC through its hearing officer mandated Mr. Ignatius Wesseh, NEC's director on political Affairs, to mandate Mr. Bility and others to cease from proceeding with their planned convention that should have taken in Gbarnga, Bong County.
The NEC's decision is based on a complaint filed to the Commission against Bility and others, after the case was forwarded to the hearing officer for investigation. "You are further mandated to inform the respondent that failure to comply with these mandates, the results of said convention will not be acknowledged or accepted by the National Elections Commission."
On Thursday, Bility issued a statement declaring that the Liberty Party has said it is perplexed with the NEC's request, claiming the party hasn't been served with any notice regarding such decision from the election body. "It can be recalled that Sen. Karnga-Lawrence and others had pulled the same stunt when they never received any notification from the NEC about the complaint referenced in the communications," the party said.
The Liberty Party further said its constitution has the same requirement in line with the NEC regulations, which states that the Convention, which is the supposed subject of the complaint, was previously delayed because it was the petition that has already been disposed of by the Supreme Court ruling from the then Justice and now Chief Justice, Sie-ANyene Yuoh.
'LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL'
Despite the latest setback, all sides in the conflict appear to be hopeful that reconciliation will bring about healing and put the party back on track. "There will be light at the end of the tunnel. I know there are a lot of talking going on and pretty soon, we will not be discussing a divided Liberty Party," Ben Sanvee, a former chairman of the party, now a panelist on SpoonTV said Wednesday night.
Similar sentiments have also been expressed in recent days by Senator Dillon, who posted on his Facebook page this week: "We are close to resolving, and we will resolve the issues at Liberty Party and reconcile our Party in the best interest of the Country, our Party and Partisans! What is at stake 2023 is bigger than any of us or group of persons. Liberty Party will be whole again and even better, strong. The time is NOW than ever before! We will do so void of sentiments and personal, individual issues, setting aside petty, real or imagined hard feelings. We have the duty to ensure so!."
Cllr. Charlene Brumskine, daughter of the late Cllr. Charles Brumskine, appearing on OK FM this week also intimidated that there are talks going on behind the scenes and efforts are being made to reconcile the Liberty Party.
That tone has been reflected in a recent statement by Chairman Musa Bility, who told FrontPageAfrica this week, that he is hopeful that opposition political parties will form a united front to prevent the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led government of President George Manneh Weah from clinging unto state power for another six years.
Mr. Bility insists that the lack of unity among opposition political parties remains a major obstacle that could hinder their ascendancy to the presidency.
He noted that despite mere bluff being showcased within the opposition community in Liberia, opposition politicians will settle their differences and hold together to achieve their common goal of democratically unseating the CDC-led-government from power.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Said Mr. Bility: "Unification is lacking among the opposition; hopefully, we will work on that. Right now, it's a worst territory for the opposition. But we will be fine eventually. I see the opposition aligning before the elections; they will realize it. Forget about all the bluffing that is going around here; we will all come together."
As the 2023 general and presidential elections draw near, the Chairman of the new Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Mr. Musa Hassan Bility says opposition political parties in Liberia will form a united front to prevent the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led government of President George Manneh Weah from clinging unto state power for another six years.
UNITED LP COULD BREAK HEARTS
Recently, Mr. Bility, who is also the Chairman of the opposition Liberia Party (LP), led scores of other executives of the party to form a new framework document of the CPP, thereby endorsing the Political Leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Mr. Alexander Cummings, as its Standard Bearer for the 2023 general and presidential elections.
Mr. Bility said the lack of unity among opposition political parties remains a major obstacle that could hinder their ascendancy to the presidency.
He noted that despite mere bluff being showcased within the opposition community in Liberia, opposition politicians will settle their differences and hold together to achieve their common goal of democratically unseating the CDC-led-government from power.
Said Mr. Bility: "Unification is lacking among the opposition; hopefully, we will work on that. Right now, it's a worst territory for the opposition. But we will be fine eventually. I see the opposition aligning before the elections; they will realize it. Forget about all the bluffing that is going around here; we will all come together."
For Sanvee, the Liberty Party will be OK in the not-so-distant future. "There's going to be some movement of needles. LP has gone through a lot. There are a lot of talks going on. At the end of the day, it is in the interest of the party to stay united, to forge ahead and allow different interest to supersede the party."
Amid the calls for reconciliation, some political observers say a united and rejuvenated Liberty Party could make a lot of people happy or a lot of people upset. While the party is at least for now, divided over support between Unity Party's Boakai and ANC's Cummings, things could change quickly, either way. "A lot of people will be upset because they have benefited from the division," says Sanvee.
In the coming days, the party's chairman Bility is expected to offer some clarity moving forward but multiple sources have told FrontPageAfrica that it is highly likely that the Bility faction may be willing to throw an olive branch to both Senators Karnga-Lawrence and Dillon by dismissing their suspension from the party. This could see the party take charge of its identity by not giving any one candidate an easy pass and reestablish itself as the ultimate kingmaker heading down the stretch of a crucial election year.
