The National Executive Committee of the National Patriotic Party (NPP) has reportedly expels its National Chairman James Biney, but Mr. Biney challenges his expulsion from the party.The party’s executive committee reached the decision on Sunday, 21 October in a regular meeting held at the NPP headquarters outside Monrovia.
The head of the national executive committee John Gray, says the administration of the party under Mr. Biney has brought serious embarrassment to the once ruling party.According to him, Mr. Biney has been running affairs of the party without consultations with the national executive committee thus, taking decisions not in line of the party’s guidelines.
He did not however indicate whether the embattled chairman is being asked to turn over party properties in his possession in the wake of his expulsion.But Mr. Biney challenges his expulsion, insisting that he remains the legitimate national chairman. He argues the executive committee took the decision outside the party constitution.
He accuses NPP standard bearer Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor of being behind the current campaign in an attempt unilaterally run the party.The NPP founded by jailed former President Charles Ghankay Taylor, is an offspring of the disbanded rebels National Patriotic Front of Liberia.
The party went into a marriage with the Congress for Democratic Change during the 2017 presidential elections, which time Mrs. Taylor was picked as running mate to CDC Standard Bearer George Weah, a ticket that won the runoff presidential poll in December Mr. Biney discloses that to demonstrate that he still remains the legitimate chairman, he would call a national executive committee this weekend to discuss the current infighting.
A senior member of the part, who asked for anonymity, claims Mr. Biney was never cited by the National Executive Committee or investigated for any wrongdoing that could have warranted his expulsion.
“We will resist this decision taken by the party and also go to court to demand Mr. Biney’s reinstatement since his removal was done outside of the guidelines of the NPP”, he maintains.
The National Executive Committee of the NPP had earlier attempted expelling Chairman Biney, but the effort did not materialize.
Mr. Biney, a former lawmaker has represented the NPP in the House of Representative from days of jailed former president Charles Ghankay Taylor along with former Bong County Representative George Mulbah, who also suffered expulsion from the party.
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By Emmanuel Mondaye
