NPP Declares Her Standard Bearer Tenure Has Ended
PHOTO: NPP Chairman Sen James Biley reading the statement flanked by his officials
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The fate of Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor as Standard Bearer of the National Patriotic Party looks shaky, as the NPP has declared that her tenure has ended in line with the party’s constitution, less than 10 months to presidential election.
NPP is one of the three constituent parties making up the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) which is expected to field President George Weah in his second-term bid, with NPP expected to provide the second slot on the presidential ticket.
But NPP National Chairman, James Biney has disclosed that the party has given the mandate to its secretariat to send out notification inviting application from members for the nomination to contest on the party’s ticket as its legislative candidates and occupy the position of standard bearer.
Embattled NPP Standard Bearer Jewel Howard Taylor
Addressing a press conference earlier this week (Thursday, December 29, 2022), Senator Biney said the mandate was given to the party’s secretariat at the end of special meeting of the national executive committee held at the party’s headquarters in Monrovia’s Congo Town suburb.
According to Chairman Biney, the mandate of the NPP national executive committee is in line of the guidelines and procedure of the National Elections Commission leading to the conduct of the 2023 general elections in Liberia.
He explained that Madam Taylor first became standard bearer in 2010 and was re-elected 2016 for the second six-year term.
“The tenure as standard bearer of Madam Jewel Howard –Taylor has expired on the 2nd Saturday of December, 2022. No officer of the party can succeed him or herself unless there is a constitutional amendment,” the NPP Chairman told Journalists.
Senator Biney made it unequivocally clear that the NPP constitution forbids her running to be standard bearer for the third term .
The Chairman claimed that the decision of the national executive committee is in line with Article 3.2 and 9.1 of the NPP constitution
For sometimes now, the leadership of the NPP has been locked in legal battles at the National Elections Commission, the Circuit Court and the Supreme Court of Liberia.
It was based on the court’s ruling that the seventh national convention of the NPP that was held in Paynesville ended controversially
At the end of that convention, two national executive committees, one headed by James Biney as National Chairman; and another which was organized outside the conference by Vice President Taylor emerged with Counselor Stanley Kpaklin claiming to be chairman
Efforts by the Governing Council of the Coalition for Democratic Change have fallen on unfertile ground as the Vice President did not accept the resolution made by President George Weah.
CDC chances in 2023 could be threatened
The intra-party confusion in the NPP, a constituent member of the coalition, could pose serious impediment to chances for the re-election for President Weah.
There has been no response from the camp of Vice President Taylor most of whom are also claiming that James Biney tenure as the National Chairman of the NPP has also expired.
Political observers are of the opinion that latest development in the NPP has opened a new page in the intra-party crisis, because no one knows what exactly Vice President Taylor will take in reaction to the declaring her as a government bone.