Who Wins UP Senatorial Ticket?

-As Partisans Prefer Rep. Barshell Over Francis

By Jackson C. Clay, Jr.

As the race to fill the vacant Montserrado County Senatorial seat draws closer, it still remains unclear as to who the immediate past ruling party, Unity Party would put forth on its ticket. 

Montserrado County Rep. Ceebee Barshell

There has not been any sign yet from the party as to who is best suited to contest on the party’s ticket in the upcoming senatorial by-election soon to take place in Montserrado and Bong Counties.

Though, former Montserrado County District#1 lawmaker, Josephine Francis who is also a partisan of the opposition Unity party has openly expressed her intention to contest in the impending by-election on the party’s ticket.

The former Unity Party lawmaker lost in the just ended Presidential and Representatives elections to an independent candidate but has publicly expressed on national radio her desire to contest in the entire county.

However, addressing a news conference Wednesday, April 25, 2018 in Monrovia, a group of individuals believed to be Unity Party’s partisans under the banner Strong Partisans Movement of the Unity Party has strongly opposed the candidature of former Representative Francis on the UP’s ticket.

Former Montserrado County electoral district#1 Rep. Josephine Francis 

“Strong Partisans Movement of the Unity Party has strongly opposed the candidacy of Madam Josephine Francis on our party’s ticket. We believe that this madam cannot win this seat for us, evidence shown by her recent massive lost in just a district of the county,” Evan B. Tuku, Secretary of the group stressed.

The group, through it secretary, Tuku said Franics is not the kind of candidate that the party needs to face the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)’s candidate in the upcoming by-elections.

Meanwhile, the group is calling on the National Executive Committee of the UP to see reason and give the ticket to newly elected Unity Party district #3 Representatives, Ceebee Barshell

Tuku stated that with Representative Barshell on the party’s ticket, they are of the strongest conviction that the party would defeat the CDC whom they see as a major contender.

The two seats became vacant as a result of the election of President George Weah and Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor who previously occupied both Montserrado and Bong County seats at the Liberian Senate respectively.

Since their election to the two highest positions in the country, there have been vacancies within the Liberian Senate and said vacancies can only be filled through a by-election soon to take place in the two counties.

All efforts made to contact the Unity Party National Chairman, Wilmot Paye, did not materialize, as his mobile phone was perpetually switch off up to press time.