Fragmented UP (Pt-1)

There are particles of dust in the air amidst back biting and internal bickering within the ruling Unity Party or UP, a party which chances for a third bid now hangs in the balance. The internal wrangling and back biting (gossips), which existed way before the party’s nearly failed July, 2016 convention in the central Liberian town of Gbarnga, Bong County, thanks to divine intervention, has grown wider and even entrenched, thereby threatening the presidential hopes of Vice President Joseph N. Boakai.

Vice President Boakai, may publicly appear to be enjoying the full fleshing support of incumbent President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and all officials of the ruling establishment. But the truth is the party is evenly divided with certain officials considered as the Ellen faction being eye as enemies to the Veep’s presidential ambition, while those previously supported by now indicted Senator Varney Sherman, former chairman of the party are being regarded as those within the inner circles of the Vice President.

With mouth slinging at each other, one insider told this paper that anyone considers to be closed to the incumbent’s inner circle is regarded as an enemy to the Vice President’s presidential ambition and should be alienated from any support group or fan club.

Insiders say, officials publicly supported at the UP’s recent convention by President Sirleaf and others who continue to enjoy her confident are often treated with suspicion and are times not given the kind of treatment or recession as party official would enjoy from their standard bearer.

One party source told this paper how current party Secretary Eugene Nagbe, a candidate supported by President Sirleaf, was kept away from the Vice President. Nagbe had to wait in vain for several hours to see the Vice President, who would only come out later to head for his convoy within seeing him. This was after several other low key party members and family members considered as inner circles had been ushered in to see the Vice President.

“They had him sitting in a corner for almost three hours,” the source said. The likes of Musa Bility and several others (to be named in the next article) considered as confidante of President Sirleaf are being push away from the Vice President’s team-many have been branded as supporters of the opposition Liberty Party, an allegation the accused individuals sometimes laughed off claiming that people around the Vice President are attempting to ruin the his chances.

One official told this writer jokingly “they will make the Vice President see the promise land but he will never enter.”The division within the party has become so glaring that it is now an open secret that the Unity Party candidate Vice President Boakai’s chances of clinching the votes of the Liberian people is becoming slim by the day.

One political commentator told this paper Tuesday September 13, that Veep Boakai may ruin his own chances of wrestling power from President Sirleaf if he does not breach the deepening gap between himself, his inner circles and those who his trusted confidantes have branded to him as his as enemies to his ambition.

Another political commentator says Boakai tends to even harm himself more if he continues to exempt himself from the errors of the current regime, a position which has been harped upon by many of the opposition candidates here.

Last weekend, Nimba County senior Senator Prince Johnson described Vice President Boakai as a “deputy vampire” who has also contributed to draining the economy of the country rather than defending and protecting the state and its people as was pledged in the oath they took.
The comments of Sen. Johnson, attempt to dispute claims by Vice President Boakai that he has been a saint over the past almost twelve years. Boakai’s assertion that he has had nothing to do with the failures of the current regime and the presentation of himself as an angel of light to the electorates is being question in many quarters here.
As if that was not enough, a key opposition figure, Cllr. Charles Brumskine of the opposition Liberty Party of LP of whom several UP officials from the pro Ellen camp are said to be supporting descended on the Vice President describing him as a non-political material for the coming 2017 presidential election.
A response from the Boakai camp only cataloged repeated allegations against Cllr. Brumskine and his role in the rebel group National Patriotic Front of Liberia or NPFL- another story in itself. –To be continued.