The Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia has ruled in the case involving the National Patriotic Party’s national chairman James P. Biney, Andrew Peters versus Vice President and Standard Bearer, Madam Jewel Howard Taylor for dedicatory judgment.
The ruling which was handed down on Friday, indicates that the Secretary General and National Chairman are the sole administrators of the party and have the right to send out citations, do documentation, convene and presides over all meetings of the NPP, respectively.
The ruling also upholds the 2004 constitution and four amendments done at the 2016 Bomi Convention as sole legal instruments of the party.
The Civil Law court also highlights that all decisions derived during the June 12, 2020 meeting at Corona Hotel are deem irreversible and that decisions reached by the Jewel’s faction at the NPP headquarters are hereby denied and dismissed.
The ruling details that standard bearer, Vice President Jewel Howard Tyalor is the party’s chief administrative agent in government and has nothing to do with the Party administration and management, and that second Saturday in December 2020 is the legitimate date for convention, so chairman James P. Biney and others remain the legitimate leadership of the party.
On June 19, this year, through a writ of summons, the Civil Law Court mandated , its sheriff to summon Madam Taylor and all those acting under her authority to appear before the court to meet on the third Monday in June to answer the petition.
At one point of the internal crisis within the NPP, Mr. Biney was still battling his expulsion from the party when he and his loyalists retaliated by expelling Madam Taylor as party standard bearer, a decision she challenged.
However, some NPP partisans have called on both Mr. Biney and Vice President Taylor to put aside their differences and unite the party. But the party still has issues before the Civil Law Court where the court has indicated through the writ of summons that it could render a judgment if Mrs. Taylor and those under her authority do not appear.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]
In another development, the Board of Commissioners, of the National Elections Commission (NEC) has denied a motion to dismiss appeal from the Movant, Senator H. Dan Morais of Maryland County against the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, CDC.
The action grown out of the case Coalition for Democratic Change, CDC, represented by its Chairman, MulbahMorlu and other executive officers all of the City of Monrovia, as Appellant versus Senator H. Dan Morais from Maryland County as Appellee.
On 31 August 2020, the BOC rendered ruling in this case, affirming with modification the Hearing Panel’s final ruling, but not satisfied with the BOC’S ruling, Appellant Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) excepted, and announced appeal to the Honorable Supreme Court. Immediately following the action by the Appellant, on 3 September 2020, Senator Morais, movant filed the instant motion to dismiss the appeal.
Reading the ruling Tuesday, 16 September 2020 on behalf of the BOC, Commissioner Josephine Kou Gaye said Section 9.5 of the Regulations on Complaints and Appeals of 2016 provides that “Determination of NEC Board of Commissioners on the complaint can be appealed to the Supreme Court of Liberia no later than 48 hours after the determination is issued.”
Commissioner Gaye said in view of the foregoing, the Respondent’s resistance was sustained and that the Movant’s motion was denied. The NEC Commissioner with Oversight on Communications said the Board would proceed to consider respondent’s bill of exceptions concerning its appeal to the Supreme Court.
Representing the Board of Commissioners were Chairperson Davidetta Browne Lansanah, Commissioners Boakai A. Dukuly, Barsee Leo Kpangbai, Cllr. Ernestine Morgan-Awar, Floyd OsleySayor and Josephine Kou Gaye.
It was noted in court that the Co-Chairperson of NEC, Cllr. P. Teplah Reeves did not hear this Motion and could not therefore participate in its determination.
When the Motion was called, Cllr. Stanley S. Kparkillen and Cllr. Sam Y. Cooper appeared for the Movant, while Cllr. Amara M. Sheriff and Cllr. Charles Harris appeared for the Respondent.
By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor–Editing by Jonathan Browne
