By Lincoln G. Peters
Africa-Press – Liberia. Over two-thirds of the National Executive Committee of the opposition All Liberian Party (ALP) has condemned as fake, unconstitutional, and unpopular, the endorsement program of President George Manneh Weah’s re-election bid by a “clique” of ALP partisans.
“We wish to inform the partisans and the general public that the majority membership of the Executive Committee does not approve the planned endorsement slated for Sunday, October 29, 2023, at the National Headquarters of the ALP, and we will therefore not participate in the program,” ALP’s leadership wrote Saturday, 28 October.
On Sunday, 29 October 2023, partisans of ALP led by Mr. Benoni Urey and controversial talk show host Henry Costa held a program to endorse Mr. Weah’s re-election bid.
Urey and his daughter Telia Urey along with Costa have all abandoned the opposition struggle against the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)-led regime they once deemed unworthy of a second term.
Before Mr. Urey and Mr. Costa’s endorsement of President Weah’s re-election bid, their Party’s National Executive Committee had endorsed opposition Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s presidential bid.
Mr. Boakai and Mr. Weah are due to meet in a run-off slated for 14 November 2023, their second time in a presidential battle.
Their first encounter was in the 2017 presidential election in which Mr. Weah won Boakai in the run-off as an opposition candidate.
The ALP through its National Chairman Mr. Theodore Momo and the Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Governance Mr. Elijah Sackie issued a statement on Saturday condemning Urey and Costa’s endorsement of Mr. Weah.
Mr. Momo and Mr. Sackie stated that the planned endorsement program of President Weah by a clique of partisans is unpatriotic and lacks party discipline.
“The constitution of the All-Liberian Party … Article 5.4.1 Section (b) gives the National Executive Committee the authority to assume the powers of the National Convention for the smooth running of the Party, to formulate and adopt general policies, programs, projects, and procedures pursuant to the overall governance of the party, in the recess of the National Convention,” the party said.
The National Executive Committee said the decision such as collaboration or endorsement is normally made by a two-third majority of the EC members and is transmitted into a resolution signed by members who made the decision.
At the same time, the party stated that it is regrettable that since 22 September 2023 when the EC of the ALP vehemently voted against the decision with the Coalition for Democratic Change – CDC in the first round, it has not reconvened to reverse its decision not to support CDC.
“The decision therefore to endorse President George M. Weah by a clique of the party falls short of an Executive Committee’s approval, and therefore renders said decision illegal, and totally against the will and aspirations of the leadership and membership of the All-Liberian Party nationwide,” Mr. Momo and Mr. Sackie stated.
“We are pleased to state that the majority of the National Leadership of the ALP including both statutory and non-statutory members (not the EC), county leaders, among others have acted by the constitution of the Party by affixing their signatures to an official resolution, signed and notarized (as required by law) to support and endorse Amb. Joseph N. Boakai and the Rescue Mission,” the party continued.
It stated that the resolution has officially been transmitted to the Political Leader Mr. Urey regarding the only valid and legitimate decision of the All-Liberian Party’s participation in the runoff.
ALP has urged its partisans to remain patient and engaged with the majority leadership.
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