5 March 2020
Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr.
Standard-bearer/Political Leader
Unity Party
Rehab, Paynesville
Republic of Liberia
Ref: EXPRESSING MY CONCERNS
Dear Ambassador Boakai, Sr,
I am constrained to use this unorthodox medium to convey my concerns about reports being carried widely in the electronic, social and print media and attributed to the “National Executive Committee” of the Unity Party. In the reports, which I am sure you may have heard,read or are aware of, it is categorically said that I have been “unanimously removed from office as National Chairman of the Unity Party”. The reports state further that this decision was taken on Wednesday, 4 March 2020 in a meeting of the “National Executive Committee”.
While I do not intend to discuss the validity and/or legality of the aforementioned action in this communication, I recall that through the intervention of Dr. Mohammed Sheriff, a concerned Party stalwart and eminent person in Liberia, a three-hour meeting was held at your Rehab residence on Tuesday, 3 March 2020 during which you made a suggestion for my consideration. The purpose of that meeting, at least as I learned from the facilitator, was to find a resolution that will benefit the Unity Party during this crucial election year. My impression from the meeting was that each of us would exercise good faith and sincerity throughout. We all agreed that I should study the suggestion.Today makes it forty-eight (48) hours since our meeting.
As I stated during that meeting, there it is never my desire to pursue and/or seek any recourse that will subject the Party to a rigmarole that inhibits its forward march.This is because, as all of us admitted during the meeting, while collectively we have all made tremendous contributions to the Unity Party over the last decade or so, the sacrifices and contributions that I have made are unmatched. I do not say this with any arrogance. Instead, I am simply restating what was said in the meeting, a truth no one disputed or challenged.I recall that you did not support me during the National Convention of 30 October 2010 during which I was elected as National Secretary-General. In spite of this I assured you that you could count on my fullest cooperation, a promise that I kept unhesitatingly as was demonstrated throughout my six-year tenure as National Secretary-General and afterward. I was pleased when you admitted in the same meeting that there was no time that I ever disrespected or treated you contemptuously.
It is however shocking that within barely twenty-four (24) hours after the meeting facilitated by Dr. Mohamed Sheriff, an action would be taken to undermine the Unity Party and complicate matter further. I am afraid this is what our detractors and political rivals may desire to see.
The question now is, “Where did the good faith, sincerity, truthfulness and honesty that we all stressed throughout that meeting go?” I had expected that all of us, irrespective of whatever the individual consideration might be, would see the need to refocus our energies, resources and time to preparing our Party for the ensuing 2020 special senatorial elections. Such demonstration would match all previous pronouncements that we were ready to reconsolidate our efforts and resolve for the electoral challenges ahead. This is unfair to the vast majority of the Party’s members, supporters, sympathizers and friends, all of whom are anxious to see an immediate end to the unnecessary bickering, witch-hunt and continual scapegoating of one person for all that had transpired before, during and after the 2017 elections.
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Let me restate that it has never been my desire to see the Unity Party that I have served diligently with avowed loyalty and allegiance for about a decade now being compelled to yet again undergo another embarrassing experience. You are aware that memories from the long legal rigmarole following the expulsion in January 2018 of your predecessor and three(3) others for their conduct during the 2017 elections are still fresh. You are also aware that even though that decision was born out of a resolution from the County Chairpersons and that as National Chairman my power, authority and privileges during meetings of the National Executive Committee are limited to presiding over deliberations, that expulsion decision was blamed on the National Chairman.It is unfortunate that within less than a year after this issue was “resolved”, we have another issue to contend with. This has repercussions for the forward march of the Party we profess to love.
In the first place, how could a matter as simple as disagreements over a public pronouncement made on 5 January 2020 which does not violate any provision of the Party’s constitution and which was made in good faith as were all previous utterances, be used to divert our attention from the core issues that should claim our utmost attention? In a crucial election year, it is a waste of time, energies and resources to force upon the Party another situation that has no consequential political benefits.It shows that the “reconciliation” that some have been advocating for has no foundation in truth and is only intended to appease certain individuals. And you are aware that throughout when this campaign began, I expressed concern to you on many occasions, hoping that this was not a camouflage to foment a crisis within the Party. The argument that “Those who want to support the Unity Party financially prefer a new leadership” without regard for the Party’s constitution is an impossible sell, especially at a time when our trumpets about the critical indispensability of good governance, justice and the rule of law are growing louder and louder every day.
Under the circumstances, and because, as you know, there is no justification for yesterday’s action, I will now proceed to redeem my hard-earned reputation, credibility and integrity by pursuing the appropriate recourse in order to protect the rights, power, privileges and authority bestowed to and vested in me by both the May 7, 2010 Constitution of the Unity Party, 1986 Constitution and Laws of the Republic of Liberia, respectively. This decision is a reaction to a wrong action and should not therefore be blamed for any difficulties that may arise therefrom.
In the meantime, let me reemphasize, as I did during our meeting of Tuesday, 3 March 2020 that I am committed to a genuine drive toward the positive transformation of Liberia’s governance system without any inclination toward replacing injustice with injustice and exploiting the present situation in the country to validate the past wrongs. Those seeking sanctuaries from their self-inflicted wounds despite this country and its people having provided them so much are only interested in validating their evil deeds, especially since they have shown no remorse for those wrongs. But as for me, my belief in the Unity Party and commitment to Liberia remain rock-solid.
My courage in working to make Liberia free of corruption and all forms of injustice is unbending. All this did not begin with my election as National Secretary-General in 2010 or with my eventual election, by acclamation, in 2016 as National Chairman. It is a direct product of the fundamental Christian principles, virtues and moral training that I received right from infancy. No situation now or in the foreseeable future can weaken my resolve.
Finally, I hope that you will take some time to consider these concerns and view them, once again, as a genuine demonstration of true faith in the Unity Party, its Objectives and Purpose as clearly articulated in Article V of the Party’s constitution. I am optimistic that all is not yet lost to reposition the Unity Party for the 2020 senatorial elections, which are only six (6) months away. I had hoped that this would be our priority focus right now.
Kindest regards.
Very truly yours,
Wilmot J. M. Paye
NATIONAL CHAIRMAN
Office of the National ChairmanTel 🙁 +231(0))/777-001303/775-938208 Email: wilmotdec15@gmail.co
