NPP begins primaries

The National Patriotic Party or NPP of jailed ex-President Charles Taylor over the weekend launched its primaries, the first of its kind ahead of the 2017 electoral process.At least there are three candidates vying for the party’s presidential slot. They are Senator Jewel Howard Taylor, the party’s current political leader, Mr. Nathaniel Barnes, former Finance Minister during the Taylor’s regime and Liberia’s Ambassador to the U.S under president Sirleaf and Rev. Hananiah Zoe, prelate.

The candidates will be allowed to campaign in the 15 political sub-divisions of the country and in every district. There are at least 25 party representatives from a district, while an additional 15 County officials from each county will be added to the total number of individuals from the counties’ districts to select the candidate to head the party.

Current NPP chairman, Maryland County Representative James Biney told this paper Sunday that the ceremony over the weekend was intended to get partisans excited for the primary which will take place across the country.

The NPP recently announced a coalition with the Congress for Democratic Change or the CDC and the Liberian People Democratic Party or LPDP of criminally indicted former Speaker Alex Tyler to form a coalition named and styled the National Coalition or the Coalition for Democratic Change or CDC.

The NPP’s primary is expected to start next weekend. It will take place in each county. The candidate with the highest aggregate after the various primaries will become the standard bearer of the party and will lead the NPP into the coalition, according to Rep. Biney.

The new coalition is expected to reduce the number of opposition political parties scrambling to wrestle power from the ruling Unity Party which is currently heavily divided. Rep. Biney said the decision to join forces with the CDC and the LPDP was taken by the party at its recently held convention in Tubmanburg, Bomi County, just days before the coalition was announced at the headquarters of the CDC here in Monrovia. Told that there was some dissatisfaction among partisans over the coalition with the CDC and LPDP, Rep. Biney said the entire party is in agreement of the coalition.