Monrovia – The Secretary-General of the Student Unification Party of the University of Liberia, Martin K.N. Kollie, has thrown out his indefinite suspension coming from the party.
Kollie has been vocal on national issues; specifically charting the course of intense debates about the state of the country’s deteriorating economy since the inception of the CDC-led government.
Last Friday, he was amongst several stalwarts of the campus-based political party that led a group of protesters in the commercial district of Red Light in the city of Paynesville.
They were protesting against the “increasing exchange rate, out of control inflation and heightened economic paralysis that have dreadfully enclosed the country since president George M Weah came to power”.
But within less than a week following the protest, a press release issued on Tuesday, July 3, 2018 by the leadership of SUP said “despite their thirst to upgrade the masses of the people from the distress of political degradation and economic paralysis, the party frowns on anyone who will do it individually”.
According to the release signed by the SUP Chairman, Butu Levi, the party will rather go about as an institution in championing the cause of the people.
SUP release stated: “The party has with immediate effect suspended comrade Martin K.N Kollie from his position as Secretary General of SUP for time indefinite due to abrogating and acting against sacred constitutional norms, tradition and dictates of the party which is inimical to the doctrine precedent and constitution of the party.”
But speaking to FrontPage Africa in response to the controversial suspension, Kollie said the decision was taken only by few persons of the poly bureau and not the majority members, something he says is against the norm of the party.
“They were even in error to issue a release,” the embattled Secretary General Kollie said.
“The central committee is the only group of people with the power in the absence of general congress to suspend or expel. It is not the poly bureau authority to suspend or expel, so they have even violated the constitution they claimed to protect.”
Kollie had earlier contended that several top brasses of the ruling CDC party were plotting to infiltrate the hierarchy of the party as a means of distorting the planned protest against economic hardship in the country.
“There are some people who intend to undermine our party because of the selfish political interest on the national scene. We are not going to allow that because the party remains taller than the CDC,” he said.
In several social media posts before his controversial suspension on Tuesday, he pointed accusing fingers at Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee for using thousands of United States dollars to manipulate some members of the party to orchestrate his suspension.
“So, what I am saying that our party remains on course. These emerging contradictions can come sometimes but our ability to resolve them is what matters, so we want to inform the government SUP remains one and not divided,” Kollie told FPA Tuesday evening as news of his suspension spreads.
He added that he remains the secretary general of the party and that the party will not be infiltrated by pro-government operatives.
“They (CDC-led government) can even spend millions of dollars; I remain the secretary general of the party.”
“They gave no reason; they just said Martin Kollie went against ethics and traditions of the party. Which tradition and ethics?” he asked.
“I want to reiterate that the party will continue to rally our people to protest against the indecisive nature of the economic condition in the country. I want to inform them again that SUP will not remain silent in a state of this economic paralysis.”