“Lawless, Undemocratic, Autocratic” -LP Terms Bility, Kolleh’s Expulsion -Says Karnga-Lawrence, Others Remain Suspended

MONROVIA – It seems as if the long-running rift that continues to tear apart the opposition Liberty Party (LP) is now taking a turn for the worst. The Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence faction of the LP on Saturday, January 29, 2022 expelled National Chairman Musa Hassan Bility along with Secretary General Martin Saye Kollah, but the Liberty Party under the Chairmanship of Musa Hassan Bility has termed the January 28 and 29 meeting in Buchanan that produced a resolution to expel the two officials as ‘lawless, undemocratic and autocratic’.

In a statement issued Saturday by the Liberty Party County Council, the Musa Bility’s LP noted categorically that the January 28 and 29, 2022 meeting organized by “the suspended political leader” in Buchanan was illegal and unconstitutional.

“The Liberty Party County Council comprising of County Chairpersons informs partisans of LP throughout the fifteen political sub-divisions of Liberia that the January 28 & 29, 2022 called meeting in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County by the Suspended Political Leader is illegal and unconstitutional. The County Council is in full knowledge that on the 22nd of December 2021, the LP political leader Senator Nyonblee Kangar Lawrence and other executives, including Senator Abe Darius Dillon, Senator Stephen A. Zargo and Jacob Smith, were suspended from their positions after their refusal to pay dues as required by the LP constitution. Since their suspension, the suspended PL and a few handful of officials continue to undermine the unity of the party by bringing our party to public ridicule and downplaying the general interest of the party. These handful of disloyal partisans continue to support the suspended political leader who is selfishly fueling the division of the party and partisans,” the LP County Council noted, completely distancing itself from any and all meetings/activities organized, called or that will be called by the suspended political leader.

“Any decision coming out of meetings called by the suspended PL has no magnitude whatsoever as she lacks the constitutional authority. The suspended PL claimed that her family meeting expelled the National Chairman, SG and many of us recently in a meeting of her family in Buchanan in desperation for naked power and her way of bypassing the dues payment as required by the party constitution. It is becoming a shame and embarrassment that Senator Lawrence, Senator Dillon, Senator Zargo and their likes who have benefited from our votes as a party to give them well-paying jobs will think about only they and their children,” the County Council stated.

Reaffirming its legality, the Bility’s LPon County Council noted that the National Elections Commission (NEC) itself has agreed that the Liberty Party’s January 2021 notarized Constitution remains proper with the Commission until it is successfully challenged or amended.

“The Commission further referenced its August 23, 2021 letter to the suspended Political Leader (PL), Sen. Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, in which it stated that, ‘in keeping with the practice and procedure here at the NEC, when a party, especially through its Chairperson and/or Secretary General, submits a notarized document, such as a constitution, to the Commission, the general presumption is that the said document is proper and remains as such until successfully challenged in keeping with due process or amended by the Party’. The confirmation by the NEC was welcomed by the Liberty Party as it effectively denounces all claims that the suspended PL, and her handful of other suspended officials, have made publicly, that the LP Constitution was ‘withdrawn’.

“The suspended Political Leader’s attempt to nullify the January 2021 Special National Convention that witnessed our participation as county leaders was mind boggling, undemocratic and autocratic. Even our founding father Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine (May his soul rest in peace) never at any point in time ever thought about exercising such undemocratic and autocratic tendencies in his line of duty as political leader. What Senator Lawrence has seen to have forgotten is that the illegal sitting she called in Buchanan does not exist in the LP constitution any longer. So the Council believed that the meeting in Buchanan called by the suspended political leader is her Kangar’s family meeting and nothing more,” the County Council noted.

The council therefore informed all partisans and well-wishers of the Liberia Party that it stands with the legally constituted body of the Party led by Chairman Musa Hassan Bility and recognized by the National Elections Commission (NEC).

“We further call on Senator Lawrence, Senator Zargo, Jacob Smith and all those suspended officials of the party to endeavor to settle their dues obligations and desist from impersonating and falsehood. In the same vein, we call on the National Elections Commission to act accordingly in line with its regulations to stop these self-seeking and political anti-democratic individuals from impersonating in capacities that they do not occupied,” the County Council warned, assuring partisans and well-wishers that as leaders of the respective counties, they will do everything in their power to protect the LP constitution and the legacy of their founding father.

“We therefore encourage all partisans to denounce the lawlessness, undemocratic and autocratic tendencies exhibited by the suspended political leaders and her handful of supporters as LP has been and is known to be a party that respect the Law,” the LP statement noted.

Over the weekend, from January 28-29, 2022, the Executive Council of Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence faction of the LP met in its Special Session in the Port City of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County on Saturday, January 29, 2022 expelled Musa Hassan Bility and Martin Saye Kollah from the Party.

In a resolution the Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence’s LP said it arrived at the decision following extensive deliberations and votes taken by 28 delegates present out of 44 total qualified delegates consisting of the Political Leader, the National Chairman, the National Secretary-General, two former National Chairpersons, the Treasurer, members of the LP Legislative Caucus, all Vice-Chairpersons, ten Eminent Partisans/Stakeholders, County Chairpersons/Representatives, and a Diaspora Representative.

A release signed by the Karnga-Lawrence faction Secretary General Jacob J. Smith also noted that the Liberty Party 2015 constitution requires that decision of the Executive Council shall be taken by a quorum of the active membership of the council.

The Liberty Party said it also suspended all Executive Committee members and county chairpersons who have been aiding and abetting the negative actions of the expelled partisans against the Party.

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