Africa-Press – Liberia. MONROVIA – The National Elections Commission (NEC) has communicated to the Liberty Party (LP) that its still recognizes the party’s 2021 amended constitution submitted by their chairman and secretary-general.
The NEC latest stance comes in the wake of the Liberty Party’s political leader, Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence call for withdrawal of the contentious constitution and ordering for the party to revert to the 2015 constitution while the alleged tampering of the amended constitution is being investigated.
Senator Karnga-Lawerence had earlier sought to withdraw said constitution from the NEC while alleging altering of some content by the party chairman, Musa Bility. Mr. Bility has denied the claim.
The NEC, however, asked the Liberty Party to use its internal mechanism to resolve their differences and report to the NEC. However, the political leader of the party insists that the they would revert to the 2015 constitution while the matter is being investigated.
In a communication dated August 23, the NEC said giving the possibility that any decision by the LP in this matter could come before the NEC for review, the NEC would wait for the outcome of the investigation in keeping with laydown procedures before taking any further action.
“Honorable Senator, in keeping with Practice and procedures, here at the NEC, when a party especially through its chairperson and/or Secretary General, submits a notarized document to the Commission such as the Constitution, the General presumption is that said documents is proper and remains as such until successfully challenged in keeping with due process.”
Speaking when he appeared as guest on the OK afternoon show on Monday, August 22, Senator Darius Dillon said that the current constitution of the LP was not what executive committee members endorsed at the party’s recent convention held in Gbarnga, Bong County.
He added that the party’s constitution submitted to the National Elections Commission (NEC) by its Chairman “does not fully represent the views, expressions and the decisions” of the convention.
According to him, the constitution of the LP was allegedly altered with a “motive” and as such, the facts must be presented if the matter is to be resolved amicably.
“Liberty Party has an issue which I believe will be resolved. But we must resolve it by the facts so that either it is proving that it was inadvertently done or it was deliberately done. We got issue with our constitution; the constitution as it is-is not what Gbarnga convention determined. The constitution was altered and I believe with a motive”.
Senator Dillon disclosed that the decision taken by the LP’s Political Leader, Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, to request the NEC to return the constitution through a formal communication, was intended for the party to commence what he called “in-house cleansing” on complaints that were raised by some aggrieved executives.
He pointed out that the move by Senator Lawrence was in no way intended for the NEC to launch an investigation into the matter as being perceived in the public.
However, the chairman believes that allegation is only intended by the duo to autonomously control the party. “The Political Leader, aided by Senator Darius Dillon, is attempting to seize power by force. She’s trying to trash the decisions of the Special National Convention. We took oath to defend and uphold the LP Constitution, and we will never allow her to do so. The Liberty Party will make the right decision for Liberia,” he said.
