CPP Wants NEC Stop ALP, UP in all Elections until after 2023 -Invokes Framework Document 8.2(2) as Legal Reliance

The remaining constituent members of the opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) are calling on the National Elections Commission (NEC) to disallow the All Liberian Party (ALP) and the Unity Party (UP) from fielding candidates in their respective parties’ names in the upcoming Lofa County May 2022 by-elections and the 2023 presidential and legislative elections. The leaderships of the Liberty Party (LP) and that of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) have thus accordingly written the NEC, invoking Section 8.5(2) of the CPP Framework Document and requesting that the Commission reject and deny and application from the ALP and UP to field candidates in their names in any election until the expiry of the 2023 election, including up to six months thereafter, same being the agreed contractual life of the CPP.

According to a March 21, 2022 letter signed by Messrs Musa Hassan Bility, Chairman of the LP; Daniel F. Nathaan, Chairman of the ANC; as well as Martin Kollah and Aloysius Toe, Secretary Generals of the LP and ANC respectively, the CPP is calling the attention of the national electoral body gross violations perpetrated by the ALP and UP against Section 8.5(2) of the CPP Framework Document which prescribes the process by which a CPP constituent party may withdraw its membership from the CPP as follows.

“Constituent Party desiring to withdraw from the CPP shall FIRST exhaust dispute resolution mechanism stipulated in this framework document. If the Constituent Party which has satisfied the dispute resolution mechanism is not satisfied with the outcome, it shall file a resolution to withdraw from the CPP signed and duly executed by Two Thirds (2/3) of the membership of its National Executive Committee, it being understood, however, that a Party withdrawing from the Alliance prior to the next Presidential, legislative and local elections shall not field candidates in its name,” the CPP letter to NEC stated.

The CPP further noted that it had learned through the media and several online interviews of officers of both ALP and UP, that both Parties had withdrawn from the CPP and that both Parties had informed the National Elections Commission (Commission) of same, there has been no official communication from the ALP or UP to either the CPP National Advisory Council or National Executive Committee regarding the said withdrawal.

“We have also learned that both Parties have requested the Commission to bar the use of their name and logo from the CPP logo. As such, we are requesting that the Commission provides us with official statues of the ALP and UP as it relates to the CPP; and requesting that the Commission requires both ALP and UP to provide official communication to the CPP of their withdrawal and waiving any further rights within the CPP.

“Lastly, the UP’s “withdrawal” has had a disruptive effect on the CPP including the group’s rotational chairmanship, rotational headquarters, rotational leadership of its various organs including the secretariat, and meetings to determine and evolve positions on national questions. This is because at the time of the so-called withdrawal, the CPP rotational chair happened to have been the Unity Party.

“As such, we further inform the Commission that the CPP is seeking legal advice on how to proceed with moving the CPP forward and will revert to the Commission with details regarding the same in the shortest time possible,” the CPP letter to NEC stated emphatically.

UP Reacts Sharply

However, in the wake of the CPP letter of protestation filed to the NEC, a former constituent member of the CPP has come out sharply to debunk the statement from Mr. Bility and co.

According to the press statement issued from the Office of the National Assistant Secretary General for Press, Publicity and Outreach, the UP says it has seen a document signed by Musa Hassan Bility, Martin Kollah and the Alternative National Congress (ANC) making rounds on social media, supposedly from the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), that carries the emblem of the Party as a member of this group.

“The UP hereby reiterates its March 21, 2022 letter to the ANC, the All Liberian Party (ALP) and the Liberty Party (LP) instructing the removal of the Party’s emblem from all instruments of the CPP going forward in line with our withdrawal from said alliance.

“Contrary to the ANC, Musa Bility and Martin Kollah’s assertions, on February 16, 2022, the Unity Party announced its withdrawal from the CPP and on February 17, 2022. In acknowledgment of said withdrawal, all members of the Unity Party were removed from the CPP Secretariat Chatroom by Mr. Aloysius Toe; from the CPP National Executive Committee Chatroom by Mr. Musa Bility; and from the National Advisory Council Chatroom by Mr. Alexander B. Cummings. This is sufficient to prove that they are not only aware but acknowledged our withdrawal from the CPP,” the strongly-worded statement from Cornelia Kruah-Togba intoned.

“The UP therefore strongly warns Mr. Musa Bility, Mr. Martin Kollah and the Alternative National Congress against the use of its emblem on any document purporting to be from the CPP. Failure to do so would leave us with no other option but to take all necessary legal actions against these individuals and the ANC. Let this serve as sufficient notice to all parties concerned,” Mrs. Togba stated with finality.