Confusion Looms In CDC Over MOU

Pres. George M. Weah of CDC
The New Republic newspaper has reliably learned that there is a looming confusion within the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) over reported plans to abrogate the Memorandum of Understanding binding the political marriage to suit confidants in Bomi and Maryland counties Senatorial seats.
According to an insider who confided in this paper, there are plans to ignore the Memorandum of Standing which among other things states brought the Liberia People Democratic Party (LPDP), National Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) to together in a coalition.

VP Taylor of NPP
According to Article 7: ‘Terms and Conditions of the Coalition’ Section (g) says “That parties to the Coalition which have seats in the legislature shall reserve the right to nomination to the seat. In constituencies where the Coalition members don’t have seats, the candidates that provide the best option for victory shall be considered as the Coalition’s nomineees”
The MOU states that wherever the coalition has an incumbent lawmaker, only that incumbent lawmaker’s party has the sole right to place candidate in that electoral district or County.
However, phoning on Okay FM Monday May 18, 2020, the political leader of the Liberia People Democratic Party (LPDP) who is also an Executive member of the Coalition, Alex Tyler indicated that the Governance Council (GC) of the Coalition has laid to rest clause allowing only incumbent senator’s party with the legal right to do in-house vetting to maintain such slot.

Mr. Alex Jenekai Taylor of LPDP
The former House Speaker said clause captured in the MOU was intended for the 2017 elections.
At presence, Mr. Tyler pointed out that, the coalition will now conduct primary in every district/county amongst the three political parties to select its candidate through a competitive and credible primary.
Our Sources:
Our sources responding to Mr. Tyler’s assertion on account of anonymity, described the former speaker assertion as ‘incorrect.’
“That assertion was a product of falsehood. If a senior member of the coalition would make such loudest statement on live radio without constitutional backing to substantiate it, than we have to seek NEC/Court interpretation”
According to our source, there has been no amendment to the documentation that effectuated the deal.
One of the sources said “Here is what happened, in February of this year, the Governance Council for the first time held a first official Meeting and that meeting, key on agenda was the senatorial elections. There were two sticky issues from Maryland and Bomi counties where our members have expressed interests in the ensuing elections.”
“In Maryland, We have on NPP Slot, Incumbent Dan Morais re-contesting and NPP Chairman, James Baney vying and the NPP is divided on that while in Bomi County, NPP incumbent Sando Johnson has announced decision to retain and interestingly, Alex Tyler of LPDP with huge supports of the coalition is doing all to contest in Bomi County where NPP has an incumbent,” our source said.
According to our sources, the February GC meeting, in which each party was represented by seven (7) officials excluding the coalition standard bearer George Weah, Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, Speaker and Pro-tempore President Weah was annoyed over the unabated in-house battle and disregarding the MOU, woke-up in that meeting. Let everybody go for primary and whoever wins, the coalition will support that candidate.
There hasn’t been any amendment made to the MOU. The NPP has strongly opposed that assertion made by the president and has maintained, Bomi County is occupied by NPP Senator and as such; there would be no primary conducted.
“We have precedence since the Coalition, in Bong county, NPP slot was given to Representative J. Marvin Cole who was filling the vacancy of Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor and Montserrado county slot was senator Saah Joseph who was also filling in the vacuum created by President George Manneh Weah and that precedence must continue. Any attempt to change this law, we will go to NEC to interpret the law,” our source added.