Jones-Taylor 2017 ticket?

The NewDawn has reliably gathered that Senator Jewel Howard Taylor, standard bearer of the National Patriotic Party or NPP, is in serious negotiation with the political leader of the Movement for Economic Empowerment or MOVEE, Dr. Mills Jonesfor possible merger ahead of the 2017 Presidential and Representative elections.

According to an unimpeachable source within the ex-ruling NPP, the Bong County Senator and former First Lady of Liberia has reached an agreement with Dr. Jones to become her running mate while the MOVEE leader has reportedly agreed to provide about 20 pickups plus US$1.9 million for the campaign activities of the NPP.

Our source further disclosed Senator Taylor has made a commitment to take the NPP to the MOVEE, apparently due to the offer and agreed to become running mate for Dr. Jones who had supported her second term bid for the senate that saw her returning at the Capitol Building.

Many stalwarts of the NPP are said not to be aware of the reported merger talks between their political leader Taylor and Dr. Jones. Dr. Joseph Mills Jones is executive governor of the Central Bank of Liberia. Though he has not publicly declared his intention to contest for the Presidency in 2017, his current activities in the country, including the formation of a political party strongly indicate he has ambition for the highest seat here.

Senator Taylor has reportedly promised to resist anyone who will go against the political merger, and that if the NPP refuses to join such merger, she is willing to peacefully walk out of her husband’s party.

Reports also indicate the controversial chairman of the NPP, Maryland County Representative James Biney, is totally against secret merger talks between Senator Taylor and Dr. Jones, while on the other hand, there are also reports the Bong County lawmaker is building support within to remove Mr. Biney as chairman of the party before its national convention.

Chairman Biney is reportedly expected to address a press conference soon on unfolding development in the NPP which is faced with leadership crisis. The party could not field a candidate in the recent electoral district #2 representative by-election in Lofa County due to the current leadership wrangling, forcing Madam Judy Wiah of the party to have contest as an Independent candidate and won.

During her campaign for re-election in Bong County in 2014, Senator Taylor boasted that she had total control of the CBL loan scheme, asking women of Bong to re-elect her with a promise that if she won, the loans would not be paid back.

During that meeting, the senator had also boasted that even ban on the loan could not stop the women of Bong from benefiting from the scheme under the Central Bank of Liberia. When the Assistant Secretary General of the NPP was contacted via mobile on Sunday morning, Mr. Marvin Cole said the party is discussion with all political parties, including the ruling Unity Party.

Mr. Cole, who is the political officer in the office of Sen. Taylor, said information about his boss being in secret merger talks with Dr. Jones is not true. “The NPP is in discussion with all parties including the Unity Party, Congress for Democratic Change, the Liberty Party and the rest. But with secret merger talk with Dr. Jones from the senator’s end is far from the truth.”

When the National Chairman of the MOVEE, Mr. James E. Brooks was contacted, his phone rang endlessly.

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor-Edited by Jonathan Browne