The National Elections Commission (NEC) is expected to certificate the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) as a full-fledged political party on today, August 14, 2020, in the James Fromoyan Conference Hall at the NEC headquarters.
The CPP is made up of four political parties: Unity Party (UP), headed by Ambassador Joseph N. Boakai; Liberty Party (LP), headed by Senator Nyomblee K. Lawrence; Alternative National Congress (ANC), headed by Alexander B. Cummings; and All Liberian Party (ALP), headed by Benoni W. Urey.
A letter from the NEC, dated August 11, 2020 and addressed to the Organizing Chairman of the CPP, Daniel Naatehn, noted that the proposed Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) has met the requirements of Article 79 of the Constitution and Chapter 8, Section 8.5 of the 1986 New Elections Law to be registered as an alliance.
The certification of the CPP is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. today, with the NEC inviting the Executive Committee and members of the proposed party to the occasion.
The operation of the CPP dates as far back as the 2017 election when the LP sued the National Elections Commission at the Supreme Court for election fraud and other election inconsistencies. The LP’s petition was later supported by the UP, ANC and ALP, marking the unforeseen beginning of the alliance of the four parties.
The Political Leader of the ALP, Urey, served as the first Chairman of the CPP, and during his tenure the institution, through a member of the ALP and talk show host, Henry P. Costa, established the militant arm of the collaboration, known as the Council of Patriots (COP). The COP would organize and lead all the demonstrations and protests against the CDC government, on behalf of the CPP.
Even though it is not yet a political party, the CPP has brought to prominence a number of individuals, including Martin Kollie, a student activist; Jestina Taylor, an ex-rebel fighter who has levied criminal charges on Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee and other high-ranking officials of the CDC; Telia Urey; a politician and daughter of Benoni Urey; and Abraham Darius Dillon, Spokesman of the COP and now Senator of Montserrado County. The collaboration is also viewed by many as an alternative to replace the incumbent CDC administration.
Now that the CPP is about to become a political party, observers believe that Liberia is prepared to showcase the beauty of democracy by handling political differences through intellectual engagements and electoral processes.
Currently, the CPP is headed by ANC’s Political Leader, Cummings, as Chairman. He succeeded the ALP Political Leader, Benoni Urey.