– Liberty Party’s crisis deepens
The Political Leader of Liberty Party, Senator Nyonblee Kangar Lawrence, has reacted angrily to news of her suspension and with a caveat to remove Musa Bility from his position as chairman of Liberty Party (LP).
Chairman Bility in a communication dated December 6, 2021, addressed to the Political Leader of Liberty Party, Sen. Nyonblee Kangar Lawrence, informed of her suspension for delinquency in due payment to the party.
“The National Treasurer’s report on Liberty Party officials’ dues obligation and payment reflects that you are not an official in good standing as defined by Article IX of the LP Constitution”, the letter read in part.
According to the communication, article IX of LP by-law and constitution states that persons accepted as members of the Liberty Party shall pay a monthly membership fees as may from time to time be set by the National Execution Committee (NEC). The communication said members in good standing are members whose membership dues are fully current and up to date.
“Members who are not in good standing shall not be allowed to hold office within the party, and if such members hold position in the party, elected or appointed, NEC shall suspend said person from the office until he/she shall have resumed the status of member in good standing. If after three (3) months, such members are still delinquent, he /she shall be permanently removed from the office and may also be expelled from the office”, the letter quoted.
According to the letter signed by Chairman Bility, Sen. Lawrence is obligated to pay $1,500 USD monthly to the party, an amount, the letter said, she has not been paying since January and has accumulated to $18,000 USD for this year alone.
The letter said the decision to suspend Sen. Nyonblee Kangar Lawrence and others was taken by the National Executive Committee in a meeting held in Ganta, Nimba County on November 20, 2023.
The female politician has since denied the allegation, noting that she has made more contributions to the party more than due payment. Senator Lawrence made these statements Tuesday December 7, 2021 on a local radio station in Monrovia.
The Senator, however, accused Chairman Bility of fueling tension in the Party since his ascendency to the chairmanship of the Party. She also alleged Chairman Bility’s admission to fraudulent alteration of the party constitution that he submitted to the National Elections Commission, a claim Chairman Bility has since denied.
Chairman Bility has meanwhile, communicated to other members of the collaborated political parties names of those he claimed suspended from the Liberty party. Those suspended include George Gaybue, Grand Bassa County Chair, Eugene Tarr, Grand Bassa County party Secretary, Romeo Coker, Montserrado County Chair, Augustine Nyormai, Montserrado County Secretary, Daniel Sando, Vice Chair for Media and Public Affairs and Edith Gongloe Weh Eminent Partisan. Others are Debar Allen, NAC Chair, Jacob Smith, NAC member, Nathaniel Barnes, NAC member, Agatius Coker, Vice Chair for Auxiliary Affairs, Augustine Fredericks, Vive Chair for Inter-Party and NEC Affairs, Prince Toles, Vice Chair for mobilization Sen. Nyonblee Kanga Lawrence, Political Leader, Sen. Abraham Darius Dillon, Vice Chair for political Affairs and Sen. Steve Zargo. Others are Sen. Jonathan Kaipay and Rep. Hans Barchue of the National Legislature
According to Sen. Lawrence, Chairman Bility doesn’t have authority to remove her as Political Leader of the Party. She said as a matter of fact, they had a reconciliation meeting at Farmington where a unanimous decision was reached and an MOU signed to withdraw the constitution from for further review. The Senator said there is ongoing consultation to remove Musa Bility as chairman of LP.
With this new development, pundits believe that the crisis in LP will further deepen, undermine the coherence of the Collaborating Political Party (CPP) and its dream of forming a formidable force to confront the ruling party in 2023.
