Liberia’s Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor’s party feels that she is unsafe, and it has requested the Ministry of Justice to investigate an alleged threat against her life and security.
The alleged threat in question comes from within her party, the National Patriotic Party (NPP) of her estranged husband, imprisoned former President Charles Ghankay Taylor.
James Biney, a Senator for Maryland County, southeast Liberia, and embattled NPP chair faces an accusation from a faction of the NPP loyal to Vice President Howard-Taylor of threatening the latter through the party’s chat room.
The NPP in a communication dated 27 December 2022, has accused Biney of issuing a threat in the party’s chat room that Vice President Howard-Taylor’s decision to recognize Stanley S. Kparklainn as NPP National Chairman will cost her dearly.
“The Senator in his post directed to the Vice President threatened her when he stated “Madam, what a Christmas present you have given us,” the NPP accused Biney as saying.
“By this, you have drawn the line, and mark my word today, your latest decision to recognize Mr. Kparklain as the Party Chairman will cost you dearly. You have put everything you have politically on the line,” the complaint added.
“This [response] will require you and your advisors to decode to understand its interpretation. I wish you a blessed Christmas.”
The NPP which ruled Liberia under imprisoned former President Charles Ghankay Taylor’s leadership is now a constituent party of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
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But years of internal conflict have not seized in the NPP, with the latest seeing the party split into factions between the vice president and Mr. Biney.
This year, the NPP factions had two separate conventions on the same day and at the same venue due to the party’s failure to harmonize its conflict.
The CDC later announced its intervention to resolve the NPP crisis, but it seems the former ruling party still has a long way to go.
A release under the signature of NPP Secretary General Morris G. Paye, and approved by NPP chairman Stanley S. Kparklain, says the party has filed a formal complaint before the Justice Ministry against Mr. Biney and referred to him as former chairman.
It said Biney’s statement in the NPP chat room amounts to a threat to the security and life of the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia and Standard Bearer of the NPP, Mrs. Howard-Taylor.
“Mr. Minister, the NPP considers the statement as a serious national security concern which must claim the attention of the Ministry of Justice and investigate [the] same to delve into the motives and intent of the maker of said statement,” the release said.
The NPP noted that while it acknowledges some disagreements within the party which emanate from the conduct of the 7 Biennial Convention held on 7 October 2022, it gives no justification for Biney to issue such a statement which allegedly borders on the safety and security of the Vice President.
As such, the NPP wants Senator Biney to be made to answer for his statement which allegedly poses a security threat to the Vice President.
The point here is that reliance on the electorate to win an election is not appropriate because a candidate who does not depend on actual votes will not win. Not every eligible voter will vote for your candidate. Some at the end count, may not vote at all for taste. Liberia does not have an elector’s system. Majority of the calibration leads. Any attempt to select based on an electorate will look more like demanding a dictatorial system in prison or censoring a specific group to vote for the leader. This is unconstitutional. Liberians have had enough unfree, unfair results. Now time for the pure scientific actual.
“If you are my daughter, leave that prisoner’s name and fame, that party, that inert position and come to your senses. Re marriage or say single is your choice. But your Dad’s choice is the best. God has everything home for you. Your protection is your actual daddy. No one else can be bigger than your own daddy.” This is what a father told his child.