A few days to announcing his running mate for the 2023 general and presidential elections, the Standard Bearer of the Unity Party (UP), Joseph N. Boakai, has betrayed and dashed the hopes of his comrades-in-struggle and political allies, Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence and Benoni Wilfred Urey, for the vice standard bearer position, informing them he will not pick a running mate from either of the two parties.
In a meeting held on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, Ambassador Boakai took the bold step to meet with both Senator Karnga-Lawrence and Urey, but disappointingly told them that he intends to pick a running mate outside their political marriage.
Before the meeting of the political leaders, there had been widespread rumor that Boakai had decided to pick the Standard Bearer of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) and Nimba County Senator, Jeremiah K. Koung, as his running mate for the ensuing elections.
But with the latest update, it is now clear that Senator Karnga-Lawrence of the LP and Urey and Henry Costa of the ALP are out of the consideration.
However, the consequence of betraying his allies is beginning to dawn on the Unity Party and its standard bearer, with the two dumped political parties considering other political alternatives.
According to information, after the meeting of the political leaders, Senator Karnga-Lawrence and Urey separately held meetings with executives of their parties, informing them about the new development.
An ALP release issued only a day to the UP program expressed dismay over the UP Standard Bearer’s decision and announced a boycott from the Friday event.
Also, Senator Karnga-Lawrence, in a release issued the same day, said, “Upon conclusion of our brief meeting with Ambassador Boakai, we convened a meeting of the executive leadership of the Liberty Party to inform the leadership of our conversation with the UP Standard Bearer.”
She said, “Consistent with our party’s tradition, the executive leadership has unanimously resolved at its sitting to consult our various structures across the country and in the diaspora, in line with the party’s tradition to seek approval for the endorsement of legislative candidates and Presidential ticket. The consultations have begun, and upon conclusion, the public, our partisans and supporters will be duly informed of our direction for the 2023 elections.
“Meanwhile, we call on all partisans and supporters of the Liberty Party to remain calm as we conclude these processes. Let it not be forgotten that we embarked on this journey with a deep commitment to work with like-minded forces to bring about real and positive change in the governance of our dear country and to give the Liberian people a government that they truly deserve. Throughout this process, we have always demonstrated that our loyalty to country is stronger and more significant than our personal ambition, and certainly stronger than our loyalty to individual(s).”
