DPPL executives suspend membership with party

Three executives of the Democratic People Party of Liberia (DPPL) say they have finally reached a decision to suspend their membership with the party for gross disrespect from some executive members of the party including party chairman Atty. Dickson R. Tamba and the standard bearer, Rev. David Kermue.

The three DPPL officials in a press release accused Chairman Tamba of taking unilateral decisions without the consent of the majority of the Executive committee, noting that such action which undermines and violates the constitution of the party has the propensity to derail the progress of the party in this crucial time of the current political process in the country.

“DDPL as faith-based grassroots political party was established on the principles of inclusion, participatory democracy and respect for all irrespective of socio-economic status. These doctrines as were envisaged have been overlooked by few members of the executive engineered by the chairman and supported by the standard bearer”, the release reads.

According to the party’s National Secretary General John D. Pangbe; National Vice Chair for Administration, Joseph Bush Trinity; and National Vice Chair for Recruitment and Mobilization, Rev. Josephus Koffeh, without the acquiescence of the majority members of the party,  Chairman Tamba unilaterally selected legislative candidates on the ticket of the DPPL and singlehandedly organized a national convention without the presence of county chairpersons and other stalwarts of the party at a secret location outside the national headquarters.

They said these actions have sinister motives that run contrary to the tenets of pragmatic 21^st century democracy and if it is not corrected now, it will land the party in the wrong direction against the principle on which it was organized.

According to the three DPPL executives, political party is not a personal property of anyone that will be managed at his/her will and pleasure at the detriment of other members and the institution.

They stressed that the essence of a party is to collectively harness the effort and potential of everyone in the direct that deem appropriate for the correction of societal ills which include but not limited to economic freedom for all, equal political participation that incorporates divergence views or opinions and efforts that promote the state of wellbeing of all as the reward of politics is not in heaven but on earth, which is harmony and happening in all spheres of freedom.

“Today, we are disturbed to announce that over 10 executive members and about 25 key members and stakeholders are suspending their membership with the DPPL on account that the party that we dearly cherished has now turned to a friendly empire and no longer tolerate and respect others’ efforts for reason best known to those in the habit of engaging into unorthodox behaviors against the practice of democratic principles.

As it is popularly said, one or two cannot work together if they cannot agree to each other—on this note, we have finally decided to leave the DPPL with those who believed that the party is their personally property and should be treated at their will and pleasure. Meanwhile, the DPPL executives say they will not be a political backbencher in this crucial process, vowing to play a formidable role in determining the new leadership of Liberia.

“Let it be known that political nature hates vacuum, and in this regard, we will be at the political battlefield to fight with likeminded individuals and institution that value collective efforts or participatory political engagement in the interest of the ordinary struggling masses who feel the agony of misrule, injustice and poor economic condition that have subjected our people to begging and deprivation of happy life. Editing by Jonathan Browne