A contingent of armed police officers deployed at the headquarters of the outgoing ruling Unity Party (UP) have prevented clashes from turning bloody between rival supporters resisting the expulsion of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and those of Vice President Joseph Boakai who are backing her expulsion.
The clashes erupted at the Headquarters of Unity Party (UP) in Congo Town on Thursday after some UP partisans in support of the expelled Standard Bearer Emeritus, Sirleaf were reportedly being prevented from the usage of the facility to hold a news conference.
Following police’s intervention, a group of partisans headed by former Nimba County Representative Worlea Saywah Dunah, Women Wing Chairperson, and acting Youth Wing Chairman, Worwa Bryant arrived at the headquarters and held a news conference.
Last weekend, a press release from the UP signed by Spokesman Mo Ali said:
“The vote was taken as a result of several violations of the party’s constitution and other acts inimical to the existence and reputation of the party. Article VII Section 1(e) of the party’s constitution states the Obligation, Rights and Entitlements of Members of the Unity Party and Section 1(e) clearly spells out the role of partisans in elections: (e)To support the Unity Party’s candidate through campaigning for the election of the Unity Party candidate and to provide any other support within his /her capacities for any candidate of the Unity Party at any election; and (f)To demean and conduct himself/herself in a manner that would bring credit to the Unity Party at any election.”
But speaking on behalf of the pro-Sirleaf partisans, former Unity Party Legislative Caucus Secretary General Dunah denounced the expulsion of Madam Johnson-Sirleaf, Sen. Conmany Wesseh, Medina Wesseh and Patrick Worzie by a minority vote of sixteen members of the sixty five members National Executive Committee.
Former Representative Dunah said the expelled individuals remain full-fledged members of the Unity Party as per the constitution of the party because their expulsion was in gross violation of the constitution of Unity Party.
Dunah said in a written statement that the party’s constitution provides that for a member to be expel a vote of two-third vote of the entire sixty-five must be taken.
“The constitution of the party is very clear on the matter and in simple interpretation and applications the votes taken were insufficient to effect an expulsion as sixteen voted for the motion to expel, six voted against and four abstain when the constitution of the Unity Party requires the following for voting to expel a member,” Dunah noted.
He further said that it is glaring that gross violation of the Unity Party Constitution was done when a vote of sixteen members including thirteen County Chairpersons who voted for expulsion less than the required two third was used in the process.
The UP executive noted that two-third of the sixty-five in elementary arithmetic is not sixteen but forty-three.
Dunah, who attended the meeting that took the decision to expelled President Sirleaf and the other three partisans. said the accused were never provided due process and noted Vice President Joseph Boakai who cited the meeting and Chairman Wilmot Paye who chaired the meeting.
He said Paye was under obligation to set up an investigation committee to probe the accusation that the president was responsible for the party defeat.
“The accused were never afforded the opportunity to confront their accusers neither were they granted the chance to refute the allegations,” he said amidst applause.
Dunah: “As a matter of fact NEC members who were present and one the accused, partisan Worzie, were never given copies of resolution. It is very sad that a party of such status will announced to the world the expulsion of our standard bearer emeritus and others when none of the accused have even seen the accusations against them.
Continuing, he noted “we find it totally repugnant to the rule of law that none of the accused has even laid eyes on the resolution upon which they were expelled.“
According to Dunah, the action demeans and injures gravely the integrity of this party and cast it in the eyes of the outside world as lawless body with no regard to the laws of the land and its own rules.
“Fellow partisans, the original complainant to the county chairpersons, partisans Neto Leigh as specially mentioned by name and title that he has complained that his removal from the cabinet by Standard Bearer Emeritus President Sirleaf was in violation of the Unity Party Constitution a claim which he has to prove made the motion for the expulsion,” Dunah added.
He noted that under all the best practices of law and principles of administration, partisan Neto Leigh who has complained that his dismissal as Labor Minister led to the defeat of partisan Boakai in the presidential election of 2017 is a complainant.
According to him, “a complainant must be part of the investigation as Neto Leigh needs to prove how his dismissal led to the defeat of our presidential ticket.”
He said it should further provide legal foundation for his claims that the president in the exercise of her constitutional powers to appoint and dismiss cabinet officials requires political parties rules to conform to the organic laws of Liberia. Report by Alloycious David