CMC Exposes Violators of Code of Conduct -UP Officials Abusing Power, Found Repeating What They Once Criticized

MONROVIA – It seems everything viciously hated and criticized by the ruling Unity Party while it was opposition is being boldly treasured, practiced and enforced even to maximum proportion. From free public education, pro-poor cut, to rampaging at tenured officials and campaigning openly while in active duties, the Unity Party has been licking what it vomited, as the parlance goes. But on the issue of campaigning, the ever-alert Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) is not letting officials of the ruling party bask in impunity – or at least without check. In a communication dated April 13, 2025, the newest political party on the bloc tells the office of the Ombudsman about a plethora of violations and abuses being perpetrated by stalwarts of the governing class in the ongoing Nimba County senatorial by-elections. The Analyst reports.   

In a letter to the Chairman of the Office of the Ombudsman, Cllr. Finley Karnga, with subject “Formal Complaint Regarding the Violation of Section 5.1 of the Code of Conduct by Appointed Officials Engaging in Political Activities,” the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) says it is concerned about what it called “a clear violation of Section 5.1 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials and Employees of the government of Liberia, which expressly states that all officials appointed by the President of the Republic of Liberia shall not engage in political activities, canvass, or contest for elected offices.

The CMC told the Ombudsman that on April 13, 2025, senior officials of the Unity Party currently holding presidential appointments openly engaged in political campaign activities while acting in their official capacities, describing it a blatant disregard for the law constitutes a breach of the Code of Conduct and threatens the sanctity of our democratic process.

The CMC strongly condemned the action and urged the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate and take appropriate action as per its mandate, immediately.

“This misconduct directly undermines the integrity of Liberia’s electoral process and sets a dangerous precedent for future elections if left unchecked,” the CMC said, adding: “We trust your office’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that public officials are held to the highest accountability standards, regardless of f political affiliation or status.”

UP SG Reports

As news spread that UP offices were campaign in Nimba and that their act was a violation of established laws of Liberia, the secretary general of the party, LPRC Managing Director Amos Tweh largely defended the action when he spoke on Ok Morning Rush with Clarence Jackson.

Tweh said on the public platform: “Clarence, people need to understand first and foremost we are Liberians; we have our rights protected under the constitution of Liberia to associate, to vote, to canvass, and so on.

It can be recalled Tweh and other stalwarts viciously criticized the erstwhile Coalition for Democratic Change government when it was seen that its officials were campaigning during various elections throughout its six-year terms. 

However, Tweh said: “What we did not do this this: going to run campaign on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. The law is emphatically clear; you cannot use government properties, and you can’t use government time to run campaign. So we went in Ganta to convey the decision of the National Executive Committee of the Unity Party and the collective decision of the Unity party Alliance to the candidate of the UP and its Alliance support in Nimba County.”

Defending video footages that depicted campaigning vigorously on working days, Tweh denied, saying: “So, that’s why when you even saw the video, it was a meeting we held right in the compound of the farm of the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia who is the Vice Standard Bearer as well. It was not on Monday as well or Tuesday, or Wednesday, or Thursday or Friday. We did not run campaign. We didn’t go there on any of the government time neither do we use government resources. We went there with our private vehicles to convey a special message from National Executive Committee of the Unity Party.”

He continued: “If somebody tells me we are in violation of the Code of Conduct, they will have to prove what is the violation, and they will also have to indicate to us how we are in contravention of the Code of Conduct. It is important to make you understand that this very ombudsman we went to court with him and defeated him. He has taken the issues to the Supreme Court, to the full bench of the Supreme Court. We are not contesting for political activities. We went over there; and this is the catch, we all have to be very reasonable with this matter. This is the catch: this is on a Saturday and Sunday, non-working days.”