By Emmanuel wise Jipoh
The entrenched leadership tussle within the former ruling National Patriotic Party (NPP) rages unabated with incumbent standard bearer Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor and embattled Chairman Senator James Biney at each other’s throats, on who takes the party to elections via the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change.
Vice President Jewel Taylor, ex-wife of jailed former President Charles Ghankay Taylor, has served two terms as standard bearer for the party in line with the NPP’s constitution, similarly as embattled Chairman Biney.
But Ms. Taylor thinks it’s time that Chairman Biney leaves. She has appointed Stanley S. Kparkillen to act as chairman, much to the annoyance of Biney, who argues that the standard bearer, having completed her two terms in the party, absolutely has no authority to singlehandedly appoint a chairman.
Biney is angry over Madam Taylor’s appointment of Stanley S. Kparkillen as Chairman, after the NPP biennial convention held on October 7, 2022.
The embattled chairman insists that he remains the legitimate chairman of the party and accuses VP Taylor of wanting to silence him.
However, speaking to the New Dawn in an interview on Wednesday, 4th January 2023, the chairman emeritus of the NPP, Chief Cyril Allen, cautioned officials and partisans of the party to be guided by the agreement that brought the NPP into Coalition, which grants the standard bearer, in this case, President Weah, right to nominate his running mate despite party policy.
“It does not matter whether or not Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor is the standard bearer of the NPP or not; the Framework Agreement with the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) states very clearly that the standard bearer of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) will be nominated as standard bearer of the Coalition, and the standard bearer will nominate a prominent citizen belonging to one of the other constituent parties [as running mate]”, he explains.
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He calls for calm in the once ruling party that is an offspring of Mr. Taylor’s disbanded National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebels. The NPFL invaded Liberia on December 25, 1980, via neighboring Ivory Coast and waged a nine-month bloody war from the border to the capital against the Doe regime that was eventually toppled on September 9, 1990.
Chief Allen, who currently chairs the Advisory Committee of the Governing Council (GC) of the ruling Coalition, also calls on officials of the party to refrain from internal wrangling and abide by the Framework Agreement that presently binds the NPP in a tripartite marriage with the ruling Coalition that allows VP Taylor to remain as running mate of President George Weah in the upcoming elections in October.
He acknowledges that based on the NPP constitution, VP Taylor’s tenure as standard bearer has expired and she should step down to give way for the election of a new standard bearer to lead the party despite being President Weah’s running mate.
He lauds the ruling Coalition under President George Weah for doing well and grades the government 60% in its developmental achievements, but notes that it needs to do more upon its re-election in October to improve the country and citizens’ livelihood.
According to him, the agenda for the Coalition for Democratic Change is no longer “hope for change”, but rather “Hope you can count on”, adding that the ruling establishment has done more for the people and just needs to complete few touches.
Chief Allen overwhelmingly expresses confidence that President Weah would retain his office as President of the Republic of Liberia after the October elections.
But critics say the administration is engulfed with corruption and ineptitude, so it should be restricted to one-term at the ballot in October. https://thenewdawnliberia.com/vp-taylor-feels-unsafe/Editing by Jonathan Browne
