The rift within one of the ruling Coalition member-parties, National Patriotic Party (NPP) continues with a decision by the embattled Chairman James Biney’s faction to expel its Standard Bearer, Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor from the party.
NPP, which is an offshoot of the defunct National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), was formed in 1997 by former Liberian President Charles Taylor.
The NPP’s resolution says Chairman Biney has empowered to request the withdrawal of NPP officials that are serving in the CDC led – government who are not committed to the progress of the government, saying it will nominate new partisans to those positions.
Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor takes oath of office on January 22, 2018
The action was taken over the weekend at an extraordinary convention in Bentol City, outside Monrovia, a move NPP’s executive member, John Gray has rubbished.
“That partisans Jewel Howard Taylor and John Gray are hereby expelled from the Party for willfully, grossly and knowingly violating several provisions of the party’s constitution in keeping with section 6.1 of the by-laws and constitution of the party,” the NPP’s resolution dated 1 December says.
VP Taylor is out of the country attending an international women’s forum in Iceland.
The Resolution also announced the expulsion of Mr. John Gray, who served as Vice President of Liberia after the resignation of former President Charles Taylor in 2003.
Mr. Gray was accused of taking the NPP to court, grossly violating the party’s constitution and bringing it to public disrepute.
Madam Taylor’s estranged husband, now imprisoned former President Charles Ghankay Taylor led the NPP to victory in a 1997 election at the end of Liberia’s brutal civil war in which Mr. Taylor controlled rebel faction National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) in the 90s.
Mrs. Taylor became the running mate of Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Standard Bearer, Mr. George Weah during the 2017 presidential election.
According to the NPP Constitution, there should be roll call of executive committee members to establish legality of the event.