By Mark N. Mengonfia- mmenginfia@gmail.com
MONROVIA-Liberia is nearing its General and Presidential Elections come 2023 after years of George M. Weah’s leadership as President of \Liberia.
Elections are expected next year, October 2023, but the main day is not confirmed yet as it is far, but yet close in the eyes of politicians.
As the country prepares to go to election next year, fear has starting grapping political parties and politicians with the thoughts that incumbent government headed by President, George M. Weah will do anything in his power to keep others out of the field of play.
The Unity Party, a breakaway member of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) which was guarded by a framework is one of those parties that has started sounding warnings just in case there are plans to deprive them (UP) the chances of contesting the 2023 General and Presidential Elections.
UP at a press conference in Monrovia said, “What we see is a very clear and scandalous attempt to target and eliminate the Unity Party and its Standard Bearer, Amb. Joseph N. Boakai, from the 2023 general and presidential elections.”
The chairperson of the UP Ami Modad said they have stated very clearly in a sworn statement that the Framework Document submitted to the National Elections Commission was not the same Framework Document signed by the Unity Party on May 19, 2020, yet the Elections Commission would incautiously want to hold them by a clause in a controversial document that they are not a signatory to, knowing fully well that fraud vitiates everything.
According to Modad, what is currently ongoing between them (UP) and the NEC as it relates to the Lofa County senatorial bi-election is what he called ‘litmus’ test to “grand scheme” of exclusion of the UP in the 2023 Presidential Elections.
The Unity Party during the conference sought the attention of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), European Union (EU), and the United States of America (USA) to pay urgent attention to what is unfolding on the Liberian political playing page.
“We were robbed of our senatorial victory in Lofa; the citizens of Lofa were subjugated and denied their suffrage; the UP will no longer sit supinely and allow the rights of the people it represents to be trampled upon by a system marred by duplicity, intolerance, and a clear intent to embroil the democratic process in chaos” the UP chair said.
Referencing the Framework Document that married the four political parties, Chair Modad said pursuant to Article 17 of the Constitution of Liberia, the right to associate or refuse to associate in political parties, trade unions or other organizations is a fundamental right that cannot be enjoined.
According to him, the document cannot stop them from contesting in any elections in Liberia because they were about to legally distich themselves from the political marriage.
He stressed that they presented a petition after the NEC requested the UP to meet three requirements in order to complete its withdrawal from the CPP.
According to him, as part of the requirement to leave or withdraw from the agreement, they submitted an indemnity bond valued at US100, 000.00, submit the party’s bank statement so that the National Elections Commission would be able to verify, if the part meets the required bank balance of US$10,000 minimum or its equivalent in Liberian Dollars.
Additionally, he indicated that they were able to invite the NEC to inspect their current party headquarters.
“The Unity Party being a law abiding institution fulfilled all of these requirements and the Elections Commission has since been operating with the UP as an independent registered political party under the laws of Liberia” he said.
What, according to them, is yet to be understood is that upon the publishing of the guidelines for the Lofa County by-elections for a vacancy created in the senate as a result of a politically “orchestrated witch-hunt” against their candidate, Brownie Samuka, who democratically and legitimately won the seat, the party UP submitted the completed form required for nominating their new candidate, Galakpai Kortimai, for the May 10, 2022 by-election in Lofa.
Picking bones with the NEC, the UP Chair pointed out that the NEC has interestingly, violated its own guidelines and timeline deliberately refusing to publish the provisional list of registered candidates which should have been done on April 4, 2022.
The party is saying any attempt to deny their candidate will receive resistance both at home (Supreme Court and ECOWAS COURT).
Till now, it is not clear if or not the NEC will give a green light to senatorial aspirant Kortimai to contest in the May 10, 2023 by-election in Lofa.
Political pundits have said that if the NEC uphold the Framework document of the four political parties who entered an agreement, it implies that none of those parties who have parted company with their marriage (document) will be qualified to contest in the by-elections any time soon and the upcoming general and presidential elections in 2023.
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.