Monrovia – The Alternative National Congress (ANC) Annex in Sinkor was a scene of another political drama on Tuesday when six persons claiming to be founding members of the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE) crossed over to the ANC for what they described as lack of respect to the Elder Council of MOVEE.
The Chairman of the Elders Council of MOVEE, Samuel Philips, said he and his colleagues had to resign from MOVEE due to lack of party policy and disrespect to the elders.
Philips noted that Dr. Mills Jones and his party chairman are running the party outside the constitution governing that institution.
He noted that since the founding of the party, the political leader of the party has is yet to be a registered member and has not been endorsed by the Elders Council like other members have done.
All six members of the Elders Council of MOVEE said they have no confidence in the leadership of Dr. Jones as he is not qualified to be president of Liberia due to his lack of policy.
Philips explained that they cannot be part of an institution that is governed by laws and the constitution of the party that is not respected by Dr. Jones and his followers.
He noted that as Elders of Council who are also founding members of the party, they are responsible to advise the party’s leadership on issues affecting it.
He noted that the elders have continuously advised the former governor to register with the party if he (Dr. Jones) wants to serve as its leader.
Jones not MOVEE member
He also disclosed that since the founding of MOVEE, there has been no convention, saying it is necessary that the party holds one to elect a corps of officers.
“Since we founded the party there has not been a convention. All of the officers now are all acting. Dr. Jones is not a registered member of the party and he is serving as political leader—we have advised him to register if he wants to be political leader of the party, but he always told us that he does not want to be president of Liberia”, said Philips .
The six members of the council said they see the ANC as the best party to join saying MOVEE is not ready for business.
Receiving the position statement on behalf of the ANC, the acting Secretary General of ANC, Jeremiah Swen welcomed the six partisans to the ANC, saying the party belongs to all Liberians who want to join.
“On behalf of the party under the watch of Mr. Alexander B. Cummings, we want to welcome you all to the ANC. We want to let you know that the ANC is for all Liberians and to see you here today joining us is laudable,” he noted.
When contacted for a response to the claims made by the departed Elders Council, MOVEE Chairman, D. Maxwell Kemayah said he will respond at a later date.
This could be the described as the second major blow for Dr. Jones who was betrayed by his trusted confidant Clayton Duncan when he pledged support to the presidential bid of Vice President Joe Boakai.