Monrovia – FrontPageAfrica has gathered that Dr. Toga Gayweah McIntosh is in the final phase of negotiation that would enable him become a full-fledged member of the opposition People’s Unification Party (PUP) following the recent withdrawal of his membership from the ruling Unity Party, UP.
Report by: Henry Karmo – [email protected]
According to sources Dr. McIntosh and the leadership of the PUP have already made significant progress in a negotiation that is likely to bring the former UP’s stalwart on board the opposition party though it remains unclear whether he will eventually take over the party as the new standard bearer.
“Yes, I am aware that he is going to the People Unification party and as a matter of fact, I can say to you talks are in the concluding stages between Dr. McIntosh and officials of the People’s Unification party so he is joining the PUP,” a source said.
All efforts to contact Dr. McIntosh through text messages and calls did not materialize.
Last week Dr. McIntosh the man who earlier this year publicly said he was challenging the Vice President Joseph Boakai for the standard bearer-ship of the Unity in the pending convention withdrew from the process, announcing the withdrawal of his membership from the Party.
Dr. McIntosh who is considered by many in and out of the UP’s circles as President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s choice for the party’s standard bearer-ship, announced last Wednesday at his Congo Town residence that he has withdrawn his membership from the Party, noting that he would remain politically active in the 2017 Presidential elections.
McIntosh however failed to say which political party or institution was his next destination in his withdrawal statement, though he promised he wouldn’t contest in 2017 as an independent candidate.
At a news conference marking his withdrawal from the ruling party, McIntosh cited what he called the bias manner in which the Party was handling the partisans’ grievances as well as other concerns in recent years as some of his reasons of withdrawing his membership.
In his statement, he said the party’s handling of partisan’s grievances and concerns in recent years has fallen short of the manner in which the pioneers and founding fathers could have conducted its state of affairs to maintain the cohesive bond within the party.
Prior to his withdrawal from the UP, Dr. McIntosh objected to the appointment of chair and co-chair of the elections subcommittee.
In a letter dated June 20, 2016 and addressed to Cllr. Varney Sherman, Chairman of the party, Dr. McIntosh said both the party’s chair and co-chair were supportive of Vice President Boakai and as such, their appointments to the position meant they would not be impartial.
Reacting to Mcintosh’s resignation last week, UP current secretary General Wilmot, Paye who has announced his ambition to become the Party’s next Chairman noted that the withdrawal was of an issue of no interest to the party.
Paye added: “Well, the withdrawal of McIntosh is not of interest to me and the party, notwithstanding the question of Dr. McIntosh, he chose to come to say that he wants to seek the nomination of the party standard bearer-ship, he is the same person who has chosen to withdraw, so it is his right. We respect his right, we cannot say anything further than that.
The PUP has been fighting off perceptions that it is a tribal party with many pointing to the large number of Kpelle and Bassa figures in the party.
Representative Nuquay has previously explained that the party was established to ensure that an indigenous son or daughter becomes the next President of Liberia instead of tribalism as being claimed by many people in Liberia.
Nuquay, who is also Chairperson on the House standing committee on Ways, Means and Finance, said Liberians should not continue to be followers, adding that it is in their collective interest that an indigenous son or daughter sits in the Executive Mansion to provide leadership for the country.