As mandated in the recent ruling by the Hearing Officer of the National Elections Commission (NEC), the National Patriotic Party (NPP), in a stalwart meeting Friday, April 1, 2022 appointed an eleven-person Convention Coordinating Committee to take the party to its long-awaited 7th Biennial Convention.
The event, initially designed to be a stalwart meeting, brought together hundreds of partisans from the 15 political subdivisions (counties), who converged at the party’s National Headquarters amid chants of thunderous battle cries and other NPP revolutionary songs and slogans.
Those appointed on the Convention Coordinating Committee are Nyudueh Morkonmana, Cllr. Lavela Supuwood, Francis Menwon, Rev. George Taylor, Jacqueline Toe, Janet Sumo, Askia Cornneh, George Yeeplah, Robert Bear, Dennis Walker and Edward Garmah.
The Hearing Officer of the National Elections Commission recently ruled that Senator James P. Biney’s leadership of the National Patriotic Party (NPP) has expired and was without legitimacy.
The NEC Hearing Officer has, at the same time, appointed former House Speaker, Nyudueh Morkonmana, to cause the hosting of a stalwart meeting of the NPP for the purpose of constituting a convention coordinating committee that will lead the party to its 7th biennial convention.
According to the NEC ruling, Partisan Morkonmana’s selection is based on a careful review of the records available at the Commission, his independence and public records.
“The stalwart meeting mentioned in the ruling must be opened to all interested partisans, including the parties involved in the actions, and that partisan Morkonmana is further mandated to submit the names of members of the Convention Coordinating Committee to the Political Affairs Section of the NEC within twenty-one working days as of the rendering of this ruling,” the NEC ruling stated.
Thomas Plauto et al of the National Patriotic Party (NPP) on November 30, 2021 filed a six-count complaint with the National Elections Commission (NEC), alleging constitutional breaches by the party’s Chairman, James P. Biney, and others, for attempting to manipulate the list of delegates intended for the planned 7th Biennial Convention to have been held in Gbarnga, Bong County.
The complainants (petitioners) also claimed that procedures for the nomination of candidates to be elected to various positions were not followed, and that respondent Biney, who had registered as a candidate to be re-elected as Chairman of the party, has appointed a convention committee, naming himself as the Chairman of said committee.
The complainants (petitioners) presented all of their submissions and arguments that the respondents (Biney and others) have lost legitimacy to govern the NPP, and that neither were they qualified to take the party to convention by virtue of the expiration of their tenure to rule.
“While we agree with the respondents (Biney and others) on their argument of the law (NPP Constitution) Which requires that the chairperson shall preside over all meetings and conventions, we wish to also remind the respondents of another provision of the same constitution, which requires that the party proceed to convention in 4 years for the purpose of electing new officers. The party’s constitution must be considered in a holistic manner; one cannot be in violation of one provision of the law and enjoy the rights provided under another provision. Respondents (Biney and others) cannot enjoy constitutional protection to take the party to convention while at the same time violating the provision which protects their rights to enjoy tenure,” the NEC ruling emphasized.
Speaking at the well-attended meeting at the weekend, NPP’s Standard Bearer and Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Jewel Howard Taylor, called for unity and urged partisans to keep the “pepper bird flying above all else”.
She emphasized the politically strategic role the NPP currently plays in Liberia, and reminded them of the glorious days ahead if all agree to chat the course of unity, hard work and discipline.
For his part, former Speaker Morkonmana thanked his fellow partisans for honoring his call, thus demonstrating that the NPP will remain together and strong.
The selected names from the meeting are expected to be submitted to the National Elections Commission as mandated in the ruling, for further actions and decisions.