The National Patriotic Party (NPP) through its national leadership seemed not to have fully executed the mandate given the Biney’s leadership by the Supreme Court.
The Civil Law Court mandated the party to conduct its Biennial Convention which is in line with 5.1 of the party’s constitution.
The National Chairperson, James P. Biney, who claimed to have the constitutional authority to convene all legal sitting, convened the Party’s 7th convention on October 7, 2022 but the party’s standard bearer seemed not to be in line with the outcome as she openly officiated an election process, announcing a different set of officials.
Biney, in his opening remarks, mentioned amongst other things, that his leadership has reopened its doors of foreign missions and that his leadership has established NPP’s first ever chapter in the United States of America and produced Liberia’s first female Vice President from the National Patriotic Party.
Subsequent to his reelection, the Secretary General, Andrew Peters, presided over the convention in line with 5.6(g) of the NPP constitution and then inducted the Party’s elections committee.
The convention was attended by 301 delegates from the 15 political sub-divisions of the Country, including delegates from the National Patriotic Youth Council (NPYC), National Patriotic Women Caucus (NPWC), National Patriotic Association of Liberia (NAPAL), National Patriotic Traditional Council (NPTC), County Chapters and members of the National Executive Committee of the Party.
The process was observed by a representative of the National Elections Commission (NEC) and the political party representatives saw the reelection of Senator James P. Biney as Chairperson; Atty. George S. Mulbah, Vice Chairperson for Administration; Daoda Metzger, Vice Chairperson for Operations; Charlyne A. Taylor, Vice Chairperson on Inter-Party Affairs; John A. Siaway-Vice/ Planning, Policy and Research; Orlando Yaoh-Vice Chair/Finance and Investment amongst others.
The former Senator Abel M. Massalay, one of the contestants, conceded defeat and congratulated Chairman Biney for winning a free and fair election and pledged to work with the leadership in moving the party forward.
As part of activities marking the convention, a resolution was adopted to continue working with the Coalition for Democratic Change in formulating a new framework document which shall be ratified by 2/3 of the membership of the NEC of the Party.
The committee constituted by Chairman Biney to negotiate the framework is Atty. Massalay- Chairperson; Cllr. Agnes Reeves Taylor-Co-Chair; Atty. J. Allison Barco-Secretary; Atty. Mulbah, member; J. Marvin Cole, member; Samson Q. Wiah-Member; Randolph C. J. Cooper, member; Albert Quenah, member; Charlyne A. Taylor, member; William Knowlden, member; Cyrus Kamara, member; Dopoe Menkazon, member; Ballah D. Hubbard, II, member; Jimmy Toby, member; Jefferson S. Turker, member; Joseph S. Duo, member and Andrew Peters, resource person.
Biney termed the separate election by the party’s standard bearer, Jewel Howard-Taylor and her supporters as “illegal and unconditional” as well as illegitimate.
According to him, Taylor has no legal authority to take the NPP to a convention, instead, the authority is inherent in him as the party’s national chairman.
He warned that anybody doing business with Veep Howard-Taylor and team with be doing so at their own risk.
Meanwhile, the NPP’s convention was ‘chaotic’ if not divided by the two factions in the Paynesville Town Hall witnessed by Chairman Biney heading one faction while Jewel Howard Taylor headed another.
Howard-Taylor held her separate elections outside the main hall thereby electing new officials through a block voting process while Biney held his by entertaining votes count through a ballot box process in the main hall.
Following their ceremonies, VP Taylor too lauded the party’s supporters for showing up as a means of electing their new leaders ahead of the 2023 elections.
She described the process as “constitutional” stating that now the party has its new leadership and that they will in the coming days begin negotiations with other members’ party for the renewing of their marriage.
The Veep added, “I am excited today because this long existing crisis in our party has now been resolved and the part is now ready for business ahead of the crucial 2023 elections.”
“In the coming days, we will also be announcing a committee that will represent and begin discussion with our colleagues for the renewing of the marriage,” she maintained.
According to Peters, the National Secretary General, the successful conduct of the 7th Biennial Convention in compliance with the mandate of the Court concludes the 4-year tenure of those who were elected at the Buchanan Convention.
NPP is one of the constituent party of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) along with the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and the People Democratic Party of Liberia (PDPL).
