WE’RE OPPOSED TO NEW PARTY FORMATION Says Liberian People’s Party

Source: http://www.analystliberia.com/why_we_oppose_feb162010.html

The Liberian People’s Party (LPP) says it is neither a part of any arrangement regarding the reported formation of a new party nor does it support the formation of new political parties in an already over-saturated electoral field. The party, which is a bonafide component of the Alliance for Peace for Democracy (APD), a conglomeration of the LPP, United People’s Party and others, made the statement in reaction to a front page story carried in the yesterday’s edition of The Analyst.

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Quoting yet-to-be verified reports, the paper reported that strange political bedfellows including Dr. Dew Mayson of the Liberia People’s Party (LPP), Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor of the National Patriotic Party (NPP), and representatives of the Liberty Party (LP) and the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) were working behind the scene for the establishment of a new political party, apparently to wrest the UP the presidency come 2011.

Reacting to the story on behalf of the party, its Chairman who is also co-chairing the Alliance for Peace and Democracy (APD), Cllr. Joseph Jallah said such a report sent a wrong impression and implication that the party, as an institution, supports the planned establishment of the new party or any other parties for that matter.

“Why we don’t have problem with people ganging up against the ruling Unity Party, we want to make it clear that the implications the report tends to draw carries one of the frontliners of the LPP,” Cllr. Jallah said in reaction to the Analyst story.

“We want to make it clear that LPP in no way lends its blessing to the formation of new political party, as such formation will only be adversely contrary to the political environment we are trying to create.” Cllr. Jallah, a one-time deputy justice minister, said that anybody who wants to do political business should try to do it in his/her name and not to link the LPP/ADP. He said forming a new party at time of Liberia’s political juncture was not the policy of the LPP/APD.

“We’ve no decision with any merger with any political party. We will have collaboration--electoral collaboration. The future of political collaboration will be important because the ground for multi-partism is already saturated with over 22 political parties,” he emphasized. The LPP chairman who walked into the offices of this paper yesterday said it was not the intention of the party to infringe on people’s right to free association, as guaranteed under the Liberian Constitution but that they are much more leaned toward collaboration than the formation of new political parties.

Political Vagabond

While the LPP said it agreed that is it people’s right to leave from party A to party B, it is equally concerned about the appropriateness of such a development, especially at the time Liberia is experiencing the debilitating problem of proliferation of political parties. All of this maneuvering and squabbling to overcrowd the electoral field, according to Cllr. Jallah, is being driven by the insatiably selfish individuals for what he called “unhealthy political game.”

“We can agree on a common candidate, common policy and common issues, but we will not support the formation of any new political party,” he said, adding that the LPP/APD will not be available for such political game. It is sad that political vagabonds are all over the place, amongst people and seeking their selfish political gains,” he indicated. But when quizzed whether the LPP has not been officially contacted on the formation of a new party, he responded in the negative, but said it is possible that a member or two of the party have been talked to.

“Maybe individual members might have been talked to, but this is why we are trying to make it clear that there is no official talks going on between LPP/APD with any party for merger as well as trying to have a new political party because we already have a political party,” the former deputy justice minister said. “We have an alliance, which is the Alliance for Peace and Democracy.”

The LPP Chairman said his party’s preoccupation is to strengthen the alliance, as anything outside of that would be counter-productive, selfish, and negative to the political atmosphere.

Regarding Prof. Mayson, who is one of the best minds of LPP and is reportedly opting for the formation of a new political party, as one of the best minds of the LPP, Cllr. Jallah said there was no friction between him (Mayson) and the party, saying further, “we will like to have him, and not trying to go ahead and creating a different political signal that will confuse the voters.” He said as far as the leakage of the information, what the LPP/APD would be doing is to issue a “general advertisement” to interested Liberians including their own partisans that anybody who wants to leave should do so but shouldn’t draw the LPP is into an undesirable scheme such as forming a new party.

Cllr. Jallah indicated that no one should use the LPP as a canopy to advance their political interests “because our party has achieved a lot of things over the years. We believe that anything we do must be in the interest of our voters and the ordinary men in the streets and not do those things that will confuse them,” he said. “And we believe that any formation of new party, no matter what the intentions are, will be counter-productive and further confuse the ordinary men in the street."

Commenting on the political future of the LPP, he said it is in the electoral alliance of the APD and that they are holding talks with other groups. The LPP chairman used the time to call on other political groups to come onboard, stressing, “We have more parties coming into the alliance and we all can agree on a candidate for 2011.”

He agreed that a crowded electoral field in 2011, like it was in 2005 when over 20 parties vied for the single presidential slot, will be counterproductive, as compared to four or more parties coming together and agreeing on a single candidate. “We’ve been having discussion with some political parties like the National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), the New DEAL Movement; we had talks with the Unity Party and so the field is open for collaboration,” Cllr. Jallah noted.

Dr. Sawyer, Dr. Fahnbulleh Support of the UP

Currently, several stalwarts of the LPP are enjoying the blessing of the ruling Unity Party. When quizzed as to whether the presence of these stalwarts with the UP undermined the chances of the LPP, Cllr Jallah said that was basically the judgment of the individuals concerned. He referred to Dr. Amos Sawyer, as a staunch stalwart of the LPP, who he said weighed his support behind the UP, perhaps to give Ellen the presidency. During the 2005 presidential elections, Dr. Sawyer was instrumental in the campaign of Mrs. Sirleaf which she eventually won. Dispelling notions around town that Dr. Sawyer has already left the LPP, he said he was still a bonafide partisan of the LPP, adding maybe he wanted to help the UP win the elections.

Liberty Party’s Reaction

In a related development, the Liberty Party has denied media reports that its political leader, Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, is ceding to the formation of a new political party allegedly spearheaded by Prof. Dew Mayson. “The story is false and a complete figment of the imagination of whoever is the author of the story. The party says it is in discussion with like-minded political parties and has at no time mandated its political Leader, Cllr. Charles Brumskine to cede to Ambassador Dew Mayson, neither has its political leader had any discussion with Mr. Mayson or anybody proxying for him on said matter,” Liberty Party clarified.

According to the Liberty Party, it is interested in the building of strong coalition of political parties not only for the purpose of providing an alternative to the present leadership but also the set the basis for sustained peace and stability in post-election Liberia. LP pleads with all media institutions to obtain its position through its Deputy Secretary General for press and public affairs, Jacob Smith on any such issue before publication.