Africa-Press – Liberia. MONROVIA – Barely a month after being stripped of various executive committee positions, the General Policy Commission (GPC) of the newly certificated People’s Liberation Party (PLP) has officially expelled its former Chairman Wilmot Paye and few others for allegedly violating the norms, Code of Values and Ethics of the party.
The PLP was fully certificated by the National Elections Commission (NEC) as a full-fledged political party on December 21, 2021. The GPC is the highest decision-making body of the People’s Liberation Party. It comprises of Executive Members including the Party Leader, Chairman, all Vice-Chairpersons, Secretary, Women and Youth Chairpersons, Treasurer, among others.
It can be recalled that the PLP, through its General Policy Commission (GPC), sometimes ago removed Mr. Wilmot Paye as acting Chairman and few others from various leadership positions within the party for multiple reasons ranging from the alleged fraud, acts of undermining and poor performances and unilaterally violating the constitutional rights of other members of the party.
Mr. Paye was removed as acting National Chairman, while Henry Sackie and Kansualism Kansuah were removed from the positions of acting Vice Chairman for Political Affairs and Secretary General respectively.
Former student leader Carlos Tingban Edison was suspended from his position as acting National Youth Chairman of the PLP. Following their removal, Mr. Paye and the others challenged the decision taken by the GPC and filed an official complaint to the National Elections Commission (NEC).
But in a report dated August 30, 2021, issued under the signature of NEC Director of Political Affairs Ignatius B. Wisseh and addressed to PLP Acting Organizing Chairman, Mr. Tapple E. Doe, the commission pointed out that the positions previously held by Mr. Paye and the others had no legal backing because, the PLP has not held convention to elect its required officials.
The commission maintained that both parties at the conference were also referred to Chapter II, Section 2.9 of the Regulations and Guidelines Relating to Political Parties and Independent Candidates which states that: “once accredited, the leadership of the organizing committee of every newly accredited political party shall be required to take the party to convention not later than six months following the its accreditation to, among things adopt the party’s constitution and elect its corps of officers”.
Assuming that the PLP had met the requirement of holding its convention and adopting its by-laws, the statement pointed out that, the NEC could have referred the party to Chapter III, Section 3.3 “Handling of Disputes in Political Parties” of the Regulations and Guidelines Relating to Political Parties and Independent Candidates which provides that” a member must first file his/her complaint with the party”.
Following the NEC ruling on the matter, Mr. Paye and the others went on the rampage by engaging into verbal attacks, smear campaign and propaganda by taking to the airwaves to derail the character of the Vision Bearer of the PLP, Dr. Daniel E. Cassell and tarnish the image of the party in general.
But the GPC of the party took the decision to expel Paye and the others on Monday, September 20, 2021 shortly after the climax of an executive meeting held at the party’s headquarters in Congo Town, outside Monrovia.
In a letter dated September 20, 2021 and addressed to Mr. Paye, the GPC stated that since his removal as acting Chairman of the PLP, Mr. Paye continues to misrepresent himself in the public as Chairman of the party.
The communication was signed by the Acting National Organizing Chairman of the PLP, Mr. Tapple E. Doe. It maintained that Mr. Paye and the others have been engaged into fabricating stories, which have no iota of truth to besmear the image and bring to public ridicule the PLP.
The GPC added that Mr. Paye continues to demonstrate gross violation of the Party’s norms, and as such, his membership with the party has been terminated.
“Please be advised that it has been brought to the attention of the Organizing Committee following your recent dismissal on August 16, 2021 as previous Chairman of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) for direct violation of the People’s Liberation Party’s (PLP) Norms, Code Values and Ethics, not only have you misrepresented yourself in the public as chairman of the PLP, but you have also engaged in fabrication of stories against the PLP, it’s Vision Bearer/Political Leader and Leadership, which once again clearly demonstrates your gross violation of the PLP’s Norms, Code Values and Ethics”.
“In view of the recent waves of gross violations of the PLP’s Norms, Code Values and Ethics, the Organizing Committee (OC) of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) do hereby expel your membership from the PLP as of the above-mentioned date”.
Mr. Paye was expelled from the party along several others including Mr. Henry Sackie, Kansualism Kansuah, Carlos Edison Tingban, Peddi Ross and Reuben Washingon for similar reasons.
In a brief chat with Reporters shortly after the GPC’s meeting, PLP Organizing Chairman, Mr. Tapple E. Doe, cautioned members of the public, including political parties to avoid doing business with the expelled individuals in the name of the party.
He warned that anyone who does political or any other business with Mr. Paye and the expelled others on behalf of the PLP will be doing so at his/her own risk.
The former acting Chairman of the PLP and others are yet to respond to the decision taken by the party, through the GPC. This brings to two the number of times Mr. Paye has been removed as Chairman of a political party in Liberia and subsequently expelled.
It can be recalled that Mr. Paye was removed as Chairman of the former governing Unity Party, for engaging into acts that contravene and brought the UP reputation to public disrepute at the time.
“The removal of Mr. Wilmot Paye as National Chairman came as a result of recommendations made by the Special Investigative Committee established by the NEC to investigate actions and decisions taken by Mr. Paye that contravened the party’s constitution and brought to question the reputation of the party both locally and internationally,” the party stated in a press release issued.
He was accused of sowing a seed of discord and division within the party, an attitude that prompted bad blood between from Liberian President and standard-bearer of the UP, Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and her then-Vice President Joseph Nyemah Boakai.
Though Madam Sirleaf wanted Mr. Paye out of the UP as one of her requests to give support to the candidacy of Mr. Boakai during the 2017 general and presidential elections, Mr. Boakia stood his ground and Mr. Paye and several others remained in the party and launched multiple attacks on the character of Madam Sirleaf.
They further went as far as launching a revolution to expel Madam Sirleaf from the party for not being supportive of the presidential ambition of her long-standing friend-ex-VP Boakai.
