PHOTO: (L-R) Copy of his Membership form and Rep . Jones himself
By Moses M. Tokpah, mosesmtokpah@gmail.com
A one-time member of the Independent Legislative Caucus, Margibi County electoral district #2 Representative, Ivar K. Jones has joined the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), ahead of the 2020 midterm senatorial election.
Rep. Jones contested as an independent candidate in the 2017 general and presidential elections in Liberia.
The Lawmaker, who publically announced his membership with the Party in Cotton Tree lower Margibi County over the weekend, said he joined the CDC on January 15, 2020 but that was not made known to the public until last weekend.
Rep. Jones said his decision to move over to the Party is based on the fact that the CDC and his team have the same manifesto and not for political intention as others see it to be.
He stated that his decision is guaranteed under the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia which he is under oath to protect, defend and uphold.
According to him, the Liberian Constitution gives everyone including him the right to associate and disassociate with any organization and political party among others.
The Lawmaker explained that he has been engaging officials of the Party at the District, County and national levels indicating that the Chairman of the Congress for Democratic Change, Mulbah Morlu is aware of where they came from and where they are.
Rep. Jones revealed that at his thanksgiving service held at the Harbel Field Hall on the 12th of February 2018 Rep. Acarous Gray said he went to recruit him (Jones) and on 15th January 2020, he filled out his membership form.
“And we can say to you as we leave from here we will display that on the social media so that people can see because no matter how much we say it there will still be doubting Thomas’, they will see it; they will hear it but yet still they will refuse to believe it” he said, this time around we will force you to believe it and we’re not going to use excessive force but we are going to use a tactic that we used in our campaign in this District,” Rep. Jones told the Liberian oppositions.
He said it will surprise people to note that he contested as an independent candidate and people still expect him to remain as an independent candidate up to now.
The Margibi County Lawmaker argued that the opposition will want to derail the process and want people to believe that the Weah government has done nothing and as such, there is no need for him to join the Congress for Democratic Change and the Coalition by extension.
Rep. Jones has at the same time disclosed that the CDC was robbed of the senatorial seat in 2014 and will not sit there to allow that to ever happen in the history of Margibi County.
“If you ever thought of robbing the Congress for Democratic Change in 2014 and you able to rob them now, we challenge you it won’t work; what work yesterday cannot work today and it will never and ever work again,” he warned.
The Representative who crossed over to the party with his family and staffers has appealed to the over twelve thousand citizens of the District who voted him in 2017, the citizens of Margibi and Liberia as well as Liberians in the Diaspora who believe in his ideology of accountability, transparency and integrity to join him move over to the CDC.
He also thanked the leadership of the CDC both at the County and national levels for the opportunity given him to join the Party.
The Chairman of the Congress for Democratic Change Margibi branch, J. Francis Karpu, Sr. welcomed those who publically declared their membership to the Party.
Mr. Karpu on the other hand alluded to Representative Jones’ assertion that he joined the Party on January 15, 2020 and said the Lawmaker was with them during the funeral arrangement of their fallen Chairman and he gave his support.
He clarified that the fact that Hon. Jones made his membership with the Party public does not in any way show that it is that day he joined the Party.
“He joined this Party since 2019 and he is a member of us, he has contributed to everything we do in this Part,” he added.
Mr. Karpu then said the Congress for Democratic Change will introduce Rep. Jones to the Coalition for Democratic Change.
The CDC Margibi branch Chairman also said prior to the public declaration by Rep. Jones, he (Karpu) met with the Chairman of the Liberian People Democratic Party Margibi branch, Jerry Varnie and the Chairman of the National Patriotic Margibi branch Emmanuel, M. Goll.
They were informed that the Congress for Democratic Change is interested in the senatorial seat of the county. He informed the public that with what he can see he is show that their brothers will support them in their quest.
He assured members of the Congress for Democratic Change that they will continue to use their lobbying power to insuring that the LPDP and the NPP support them in their quest for the senatorial seat on grounds that President George Manneh Weah has done so much for Margibi County.