News of the expulsion of James Biney, finally, as Chairperson of the National Patriotic Party (NPP) seems to be rocking the political landscape of Liberia especially ahead of the polls within barely three month.
The decision was announced over the weekend by the Executive Committee of the party after a meeting wherein they deliberated on several allegations of gross misconduct and violations of the party rules that were levied against the senator.
The NPP said after long hours of deliberation, it was established that Senator Biney’s conduct runs contrary and counter-productive and in violation of section 2.9 of the party’s by-laws constitution.
According to the release signed by the NPP Secretary General, the body voted with over 2/3 majority to expel Senator Biney from the party and thereby warned him to desist from making public utterances in the name of the party.
It added that any repeated act of such by him will lead the party with no alternative, but to seek litigation against him in a court of competent jurisdiction thereby threatening to file a lawsuit against the Senator for “impersonation.”
Meanwhile, some political pundits have expressed support for the decision while others are criticizing it on grounds that it was politically motivated and aimed at undermining the senator’s political career.
Some have also accused the party of not following due process in expelling the senator, claiming that he was not given a fair hearing before the decision owing to that fact that he has since declared his support for Unity Party’s standard bearer, Joseph Boakai, in the October elections.
They further argued that the expulsion of Senator Biney from the NPP is likely to have significant political implications in the 2023 general elections, if there might be any.
Senator Biney is a popular politician in his county and has significant followers in the country therefore; his expulsion from the NPP is likely to affect the party’s chances of winning in Maryland as many of his supporters may vote against the party in protestation.
Meanwhile, the Senator is yet to comment on the decision, but it is expected that he will challenge it and seek legal redress
Biney served as the Chairperson of the NPP, a political party that was founded by former President Charles Taylor, and its coalition with the Congress for Democratic Change won the presidency and is expected to re-contest in the pending elections.
The NPP is one of the oldest political parties in Liberia, and it has been a major player in the political scene since its inception in 1997.
