Several Disgruntled Partisans of Unity Party Cross Carpet

The ruling Unity Party (UP) and the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) are face-off in political struggles and protests, with some disgruntled executive members of the ruling party crossing carpets to other political parties, as its experiences what political pundits described as inside political cancer and battiness.

The fallout from the recent UP and CDC’s primaries continue to inject political rebels within the two main parties in the body politics of Liberia, this observers believe will likely affect both parties in the forthcoming October 15 Mid-term Senatorial election. The two flag-bearers, Madam Johnson-Sirleaf and Ambassador Weah are being accused of manipulating the primaries of their respective party, but both parties’ chairs have dismissed such accusations.

What appears as a daunting political test in the 2017 General Elections will be tested in this year’s midterm senatorial election as a determining factor as which party is on the right path to clinching state power to succeed incumbent Ellen Johnson Sirleaf whose term of office expires on 16 January 2018.

The CDC led the way with primary across the country, thus electing candidates to represent the party, followed by the ruling UP which took another approach of a caucus system where delegates are provided the task of deciding amongst candidates who have expressed interest in the race. Both Parties’ primaries nation-wide have been disputed and marked by protests with partisans engaging in a face-off and exchanges of insults.

Early this week, the UP’s G Gbarpolu Senator, Theodore Momo following his defeated at the hands of Madam Gertrude Lamin during the party recent primary, announced his decision to quit the party, pointing to an age-old Tubman-style patronage system which he said was still visible in the party. Senator Lahai Lassana of Bomi County has also resigned from the ruling party following the returned of Mr. Morris Saytumah to contest the UP primary which he won.

Nearly five days after the conduct of the Unity Party (UP) primary in Bong County, Mr. Jefferson Gbaryan, a senatorial candidate who announced his withdrawal from the process, has resigned from the ruling party while defeated Lofa County Senator, Sumo Kupee has reportedly resigned from the party. It reported that the defeated Senior Senator Jay Jonathan Banney of Rivercess County is contemplating crossing carpet to other party. He was in the UP primary to incumbent Superintendent Wellington Geevon Smith to represent the Unity Party ins County.

Mr. Gbaryan said his decision is based the party’s failure to “create education empowerment for its members, especially for county officials, create employment opportunities for county officials and party youths and the existence of disconnection between the party National Leadership and locals.”

He also cited the party’s alleged failure to appreciate the people of Bong County after helping it to win two successive electoral terms, as well as its recent decision to change the proceedings of its primary to a caucus system of nomination.

For Senator Momo he feels he was betrayed and cheated, the embattled senator described the process to elect Representative Lamin instead of him undemocratic and patronage. Falling short to name any member of the UP, Senator Momo revealed that patronage power still continues to roam heavily over people’s power and the power of rules and laws around which parties revolve, with an apparent reference to the flag-bearer of the party, Mrs. Johnson-Sirleaf.

He alleged that process to elect Representative Lamin for the senatorial slot was fixed; suggesting that the UP’s standard-bearer and other senior officials manipulated the process which led to his defeat to light-weight Representative Lamin.

He vowed to contest the senatorial poll as an independent and hopes of retaining his seat in the Senate, but many political pundits doubted his chances of retaining the lucrative job for Gbarpolu. One partisan urged Senator Momo to be man enough to accept defeat which he said is part of the democratic process.

But the UP Secretary General Wilmot Paye described the action of the lawmaker as unfortunate, saying that the partisans including the standard bearer, vice standard bearer and other party officials all campaigned for him to get elected.

The nationwide caucus of the ruling Unity Party has shown some interesting results with the Party Chairman, Cllr. Varney Sherman and former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Morris Saytumah leading the list of individuals expected to take the party to the ensuing 2014 senatorial election.

Sherman won unopposed in Grand Cape Mount County and is now preparing to show political strength with the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) Dr. Foday Kromah and incumbent Abel M. Massaley, amongst others.

A presidential candidate in the 2005 general and presidential elections, Cllr. Sherman will go all out for the fight as a failed senatorial bid could take a dip at his political career. His critics say should he fail to win in his own backyard, it means he is not a political force nationally and could mean an end to his political future.

Cllr. Saytumah, a one-time member of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf regime is fighting to make his way to the National Legislature. He succeeded in frustrating incumbent Lahai Lassana to resign from the ruling party, giving him an easy ride in winning the Unity Party caucus.

While light-weight Ali Sylla also won the Montserrado caucus for the UP and has a mammoth test of contesting against soccer legend George M. Weah and the Congress for Democratic Change. Weah and the CDC have won wider votes against other political parties in two successive elections in Montserrado County-2005 and 2011. Sylla the Unity Party will have a heavy task at hand come October senatorial election. In 2005, the CDC won both the junior and senior senatorial seats of Montserrado and again during a by-election after the death of Senator Hannah Brent.

In Margibi County, Edna Lloyd defeated Bill Sharpe to be named the UP torchbearer for the county, while in Grand Kru County Mrs. Rosalind Sneh won the UP primary unopposed during to her excellent job in the county during her administration as superintendent of Grand Kru. She is well respected, incorruptible, developmental oriented, hard-working and visionary. She is expected to face Mr. Albert T. Chea who was dismissed by president Johnson-Sirleaf from the post of Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy for reported corruption.

In Bong County, the president of the Cuttington University Dr. Henrique Tokpah defeated Ranney Jackson in a disputed primary held last week. In Grand Bassa County, the UP did not get a candidate as the party is believed in preparing to support Gbehzongar Findley who has been a darling of the Executive.

While the embattled Senator Sumo Kupee lost his primary battle in Lofa County to Francis Carbah, the former head of the Liberia National Social Security and Welfare Corporation, 12 votes to 8. But Senators and Momo are the only UP fallen stars left singing the blues.

In Bong County there are reports that one of the candidates, Ranny Jackson is planning to pull off the race, citing irregularities although the information is yet to be verified.

The Unity Party has also elected incumbent Senator John A. Ballout of Maryland, is going for re-election; Madam Rosaline Sneh for Grand Kru County, while Ambassador Commany Wesseh is contesting in River Gee County, incumbent Superintendent Wellington Geevon Smith defeated Senior Senator Jay Jonathan Banney to represent the Unity Party in Rivercess County, while the former Director General of the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation, Francis Carbah was declared candidate against incumbent Senator Sumo Kupee in Lofa.

In related development, the Unity Party has endorsed Senate Pro-tempore Gbehnzohngar Milton Findley for Grand Bassa; Representative Zoe Emmanuel Pennue for Grand Gedeh County, and Superintendent J. Milton Teahjay for Sinoe County, respectively.

Meanwhile, the CDC named it 15 senatorial candidates and top on the list of senatorial candidates is the party's political leader George M. Weah who is to be nominated to contest the Montserrado County seat while others are former Lofa County Superintendent Galakpai Woizee Kortimai for Lofa county; Cllr. Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay for Nimba County, Mr. Augustus Jonathan Flomo for Bong County and Mr. A. Marshall Dennis for Grand Gedeh County.

The document which profiled all of the candidates and read during a certification program from the CDC's primaries around the country also named Prof. Duannah A. Kamara for Bomi County; Mr. Nathaniel Farlo McGill for Gbarpolu County and Solomon James Murray for Grand Bassa County.

Others on the CDC listing for the special mid-term senatorial elections include Dr. Fodee Kromah for Grand Cape Mount County; Prof. Dao AnsuSonii for Margibi County; Rep. Dr. Bhofal Chambers for Maryland County and Mr. Alexander P. B. Yeaher for River Gee County.

Atty. Teplah Pamela Reeves of River Cess County will contest on CDC's ticket for that county; Mr. Richard NagbeTobii will contest the seat of Sinoe County while the CDC has endorsed the candidacy of Albert Chea for the seat Grand Kru County, he was dismissed from the government by President Sirleaf for corruption.