Former Senator John A. Bollout of Maryland County, southeast Liberia has formally announced his resignation from the ex-ruling Unity Party and the Collaborating Political Parties, claiming that he was overlooked by both institutions. A former stalwart of the UP, Mr. Ballout is currently seeking re-election to the Senate in December as an Independent Candidate.
He made the disclosure during a news conference over the Weekend in Harper District, Maryland County, lamenting that the CPP didn’t demonstrate democratic tenets during its primaries when it allotted specific counties to individuals without opening up the process.
He specifically argued the CPP primary held in Maryland County which declared Mr. Eric W. Giko as its candidate was intended to degrade the objective of the Collaboration.
According to Mr. Ballout, in two separate elections, he led to the Unity Party to victory during its 12 years rule and became one of the most powerful voices in the party, who commanded lots of respect.
But he expressed surprise that despite the level of works he did in the UP, the party is proceeding in an unpleasant manner, so he has called it a quit and was proceeding to the senate on an independent path.
“Today, as you can see, I am disclosing to you the biggest news of my resignation from the Unity Party and CPP in extension, because in my view this is not a demonstration of democracy carried on by the Unity Party and CPP. I have made it public that I will be contesting in this mid-term election as an Independent Candidate”, he said.
“I have chosen to make this press conference of my resignation at my office in Harper District, Maryland County to put forth and prioritize Maryland and the Legislature. As a political leader, former senator and a candidate in this year’s election, I chose to have this press conference in the county for the information to be relayed from the primary source, Maryland County.”
He disagreed with some CPP partisans who argued the act of allotting specific counties to particular aspirants is in line with the framework document that unite parties of the Collaboration, saying such agreement didn’t exist in the framework of the marriage because it lacks both moral and political bearing, so he leaving.
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“Let me make this clear, I am not an enemy of the Unity Party because I was among others who have built the party, so I am not fighting the Party but what I am saying to the party is, in as much they have chosen to go such way, I too am not forced to follow them.
“As I resign today from the UP and CPP, I am fully prepared to battle with anyone – be it a CDC or CPP candidate in this race in order to deliver my county from the hands of those claiming to be called CPP or CDC candidates in this senatorial election”, he added.
Meanwhile, when asked why his resignation was not discussed with other senior officials of the UP, he said in several executive meetings attended in Monrovia, he had expressed dissatisfaction about the way the party was proceeding, was never accorded redress.
Ballout disclosed that despite efforts to share his disappointed with the CPP, the lapses still exist; noting that Mr. Cummings has you can’t continue doing one thing over and over and expert different result, so he was so constrained to have registered as an independent candidate for the senatorial election.
