By Olando Testimony Zeongar
The political leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), one of four constituent political parties in a collaboration opting to oust incumbent President George Weah at the polls in 2023, Alexander B. Cummings (ABC), undoubtedly, is uneasy with his stay in the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP).
The rest of the constituent members of the CPP are the former ruling Unity Party (UP) of ex-Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai; Charles Walker Brumskine’s Liberty Party (LP); and All Liberian Party (ALP) of businessman cum politician Benoni Wilfred Urey.
Mr. Cummings’ unhappiness in the CPP has come to the public glare in recent times, with the ANC political leader even demonstrating same in a couple of actions he has taken and communications he has written.
Over the weekend, Cummings declined attending a Unity Party’s gathering meant for the UP’s endorsement and presentation of former VP Boakai, as its standard bearer aspirant for the CPP, with ABC not mincing words that such gathering contravened the CPP’s Framework document.
In a separate communication, Cummings had earlier expressed unhappiness with the conduct of the political leader of the ALP, Mr. Urey, when he (Cummings) addressed a letter to CPP’s chairperson, Grand Bassa County Senator, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, indicating that he was “quite bothered” by news reports of claims made by the ALP’s political leader about the alleged altering of the CPP’s Framework document at the National Elections Commission (NEC).
The ANC political leader at the time noted that he was of the belief that such allegation was grave, adding that to have had such accusations in the public, more than a year after the formation of the CPP, without the benefit of any eternal consideration of its accuracy and validity, is strange and disturbing.
Moreover, ABC stressed that Urey’s use of what the ANC’s political leader termed incendiary and provocative language was even more disturbing, lamenting that such was meant to evoke acrimony and cast aspirations on the integrity of the CPP generally and those within its hierarchy, specifically.
It’s no secret that a bad blood has since developed between Urey and Cummings, with the former, most times launching stinging attacks against the latter.
Multiple political pundits see the feud between the pair as another reason for Cummings’ unhappiness in the CPP, with the pundits intimating that Urey’s incessant onslaughts against ABC, stems from the background that for a CPP ticket, he supports ex-VP Boakai over ABC, to head the ticket.
The pundits, who prefer remaining anonymous for this report, also confided in Women Voices newspaper, stating that there are indications that Urey’s support for Boakai is that in exchange, the former Vice President picks him as his vice presidential running mate.
According to the pundits, Cummings’ expressed dissatisfaction with how things are unfolding within the CPP in recent times, may just resort to the ANC political leader’s departure from the collaboration sooner than later.
The tone of Cummings’ latest letter to the Unity Party may land some credibility to the pundits’ assertions of his imminent departure from the collaboration, as the ANC’s political leader was brutally frank with the folks from the former ruling party.
Cummings slammed the UP for organizing a program for the selection of a standard bearer for the CPP outside of a national convention, averring that such action falls short of the core values of the CPP
He further told the UP that its standard bearer’s endorsement and presentation ceremony also runs contrary to the CPP’s Guiding Principles, which he said create for an enabling environment of upholding the tenets of democracy including for the respect for the Rule of Law and human rights.”
Cummings blasted the UP that its latest action has the potential to expose the CPP to public ridicule.
