By Our Reporter
The four-party Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) is in disarray, in the wake the violence and chaos that marred the group’s primaries to pick a candidate for the December 8, 2020 Mid-term Senatorial election in Sanniquellie, Nimba County.
And it now appears that the CPP is beginning to implode ahead of the upcoming polls, which is seen as their stepping stone to the later 2023 presidential and general elections, as their leaders have vowed to form a united front “to make President George Weah a one-term President”.
The Liberty Party-backed candidate, Madam Edith Gongloe Weh has since claimed victory but the Alternative National Congress (ANC) of Mr. Alexander Cummings has rejected the results, describing last Saturday (September 5, 2020) as “kangaroo primaries”, in a press statement issued on Monday, September 7, 2020.
But writing on her Facebook page on Sunday, September 6, 2020, Madam Gongloe Weh, former Superintendent of Nimba during the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s government said:
“Congratulations and thanks to members of the CPP in Nimba!! We believe that Taa will uphold his word and support us as the CPP CANDIDATE!”
Last weekend, violence erupted between the supporters of two opposing candidates in the four-party Collaborating Political Parties (CPP)–Edith Gongloe-Ware of the Liberty Party and Taa Wongbe of the Alternative National Congress—in their Nimba County primaries. Several persons got injured amid throwing of stones and other objective among rival supporters in the northeastern city of Sanniquellie.
In recent times, both the ruling CDC party and some opposition parties have seen the rise in militancy, with the stepping up of activities of youth militant brigades.
The CPP comprises the former ruling Unity Party of ex-Vice President Joseph Boakai, the opposition Liberty Party of the late Cllr. Charles Brumskine and the All Liberian Party (ALP) of businessman Benoni Urey.
Below is the full text of the ANC’s statement signed by its National Chairman, Gbarpolu County Senator, Danie F. Naatehn:
“ANC REJECTS RESULTS OF KANGAROO PRIMARIES IN NIMBA, SAYS CPP HAS NO CANDIDATE IN NIMBA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monrovia, Liberia. September 6, 2020: The ANC wishes to inform the general public that it does not recognize the results of the CPP Nimba County primary held on yesterday, September 6, 2020. This decision is based on the fact that its candidate, Mr. Taa Wongbe was maliciously and abruptly prevented from participating by supporters of Madam Edith Gongloe with the eruption of violence, led and orchestrated by the ALP. This unfortunate situation was preceded by series of blatant violations of the process, which when ultimately failed to frustrate Taa, led to premeditated attacks on him, our delegates and officials. The refusal of Madam Gongloe’s team to allow ANC’s candidate to enter the stage was avoidable and should not have happened. Also notable is that while Taa attended to his injured partisans, an inconspicuous regrouping of the other parties without notice to our candidate took place to announce LP’s candidate, Edith Gongloe Weh as the CPP’s candidate. The ANC will not support the outcome of any process it was prevented from being a part of as a member of the CPP.
We also want to highlight the issue of primary results circulated on social media by other constituent parties’ members from a process which the ANC’s candidate and delegates were not part. Moreover, the numbers are not reflective of the facts. Each party had 45 delegates, which gave us a total of 180 delegates. In the absence of ANC’s 45 delegates, the other 3 parties equal 135 delegates. As such, it is nearly impossible for 134 out of their 135 to regroup in under an hour after such intense violence, to conduct a process where Taa is said to have gotten six (6) votes. Who are the six (6) persons voting for Taa Wongbe when ANC delegates did not return for fear of their lives and were not present? This is clearly the outcome of a kangaroo process which must be addressed in accordance with our collaboration and electoral laws. As such, the CPP has no candidate for Nimba county until these issues are addressed.
We are deeply disappointed by these happenings as they do not reflect the values and ideals of the ANC. When we joined the CPP, we believed it was an honest attempt by all four (4) parties to consolidate the opposition bloc and provide alternative leadership to the Liberian people. While we remain a part of the CPP, we call on our colleagues to ensure that the sanctity of this collaboration and the interest of the Liberian people remain paramount.”