Following a fierce disagreement with some members of their party’s executive committee to support the re-election bid of President George Manneh Weah, aggrieved officials and partisans of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP)’ led by the embattled Council of County Chairpersons, have announced their support for the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) and the presidential bid of Alexander Benedict Cummings.
The PLP partisans made the pronouncement Friday, June 2, 2023 in Paynesville.
Flanked by several county chairpersons and youth leaders, Captain Jerry Kollie announced that with 80% of consultation and discussions held with Mr. Cummings and the CPP, they are convinced that he (Cummings) has presented a stronger case for Liberia.
Amid battle cries and slogans, Kollie said the vision and principles of the CPP Standard Bearer align with those of their late standard bearer and political leader, Dr. Daniel E. Cassell, something which drives their desire and decision to work with the CPP to guarantee an effective and responsible leadership for Liberia.
The PLP ‘majority bloc’ also revealed that following the conclusion of the remaining 20% of consultations this week, a formal mass ceremony would be held, where PLP partisans from all walks of life would gathered along with other allied democratic forces to formally declare, announce and present their support for the CPP and Mr. Cummings.
It can be recalled that in April this year, PLP’s embattled chairman for Bong County and Chairman of Council of County Chairs, Jerry Kollie, announced that as influential recruiters as well as community and constituency leaders of Liberia’s fastest growing grassroot and masses based political parties, and in defense of the noble heritage, norms and ethics of the PLP, they vehemently denounce the action of those he described as the minority faction of the National Executive Committee to attempt to illegally suspend elected county chairpersons and other officials simply because they have voiced their disagreement to the decision to support the governing CDC.
This position by the Council of County Chairs has also received the backing of disenchanted youth leaders of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) who themselves have rejected the suspension of several county chairpersons and criticized the process and decision by few party leaders to go to the CDC without proper consultation and majority approval.
In their immediate response in April, to the PLP leadership’s decision to support the CDC, the Chairman and Co-chairman of the aggrieved PLP officials and partisans, Oscar Holmes of Bomi County and Captain Jerry Kollie of Bong County had vowed that the CDC collaboration decision would be resisted through all possible legal means, using the masses of PLP partisans throughout the country.
They argued that the decision to take the party to the CDC was made by Political Leader, Tapple Doe, National Chairman, Benard DJ Blues Benson and few other members of the National Executive Committee without due consultation with or participation of the Council of County Chairpersons.
Holmes and Kollie cited greed for money and lack of integrity as the reasons that triggered the minority decision of some executives of the PLP to hurriedly announce the party’s support for the CDC.