Opposition Unity Party (UP) says it has not been evicted from its party headquarters, contrary to reports here by some media houses.
The former ruling party which now chairs the main opposition bloc Collaborating Political Party (CPP), issued a statement over the weekend, assuring partisans and supporters that the issue surrounding the property it occupied would be resolved in accordance with the extension given by the Court for dialogue on the arrears.
“The Unity Party informs its partisans and the public that, contrary to media reports, the party has not been evicted from the Congo Town Headquarters,” the statement said.
The release noted that the Unity Party had a cordial relationship with the property owners and has been working out modalities for the smooth transfer of the property after both parties could not reach a resolution on the abrupt astronomical increase in rental.
The UP said at the beginning of the Standard Bearership of Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai in 2017, paid off its debt of U$180,000 in full and a further US$60,000 for a year’s rent and continued the lease agreement as was.
At the payment of the said amount, the release said the party initiated a discussion with the McClains about the high rental cost and basically agreed that further discussions would be held about the reduction in cost by 50%.
Upon the assumption of the Chairmanship of the Party by Mr. Amin Modad, the leadership of the party concluded that the rental cost did not commensurate with the current economic conditions and again reengaged the McClains for a reduction.
The release detailed that both parties had initially agreed in principle to the reduction of rental from U$60,000 annually to U$30,000 and that said rent would be paid on a monthly basis.
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Accordingly, the party said it undertook massive renovation amounting to approximately U$30,000 in recent times. To the dismay of the party, the release said, a few months later, the property owners informed the leadership of an increment in rental to U$100,000 annually instead.
At this point, the UP said it decided to relocate and discussed appropriately with the McClains. It said Lawyers for both parties have since initiated discussions on payment plans for the arrears owed the property owners.
“The UP is dismayed and disappointed that the McClains, a family that the UP has done favorable business with for years, have decided to politicize the rent issues by disseminating what was once a private matter between the two parties to the public,” the release continued.
The Unity Party assured its partisans, supporters, and the public that this issue would be resolved in accordance with the extension given by the Court for the parties to dialogue on the arrears.
“We would also like to inform the public that renovation works at our newly secured Headquarters, in Monrovia, are 80% complete and we are expected to turn over the property in Congo Town to the McClains by the end of November or early December,” the release concluded.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/unity-party-lawmakers-urged-to-support-calls-for-war-crimes-court/
