Liberia: Ex-Ruling Party Chair ‘Acted on His Own’ In Call for Partisans to ‘Boycott’ Anti-Weah Protest

Monrovia – The former ruling Unity Party says its party chairman Wilmot Paye crossed the line when he unilaterally called on partisans of his party to boycott the protest organize by the Council of Patriot (COP) slated for Monday.

In a hastily-arranged news conference Sunday, Mr. Paye said although the COP had scaled down the protest from its original Weah Step Down campaign, the fact that the COP has not stipulated how long the protest would last, has the potential of causing more misery on the struggling masses who do not have the ability to endure any endless standoff.

Said Mr. Paye: “We want to urge all our supporters and sympathizers, friends and citizens of Liberia to be cautious about Monday, January 6, 2020 and not allow our party to be drawn to any standoff that could have dire and adverse consequences. The most prudent thing to do therefore is to avoid the streets and monitor unfolding event from our homes.”

“We want to urge all our supporters and sympathizers, friends and citizens of Liberia to be cautious about Monday, January 6, 2020 and not allow our party to be drawn to any standoff that could have dire and adverse consequences. The most prudent thing to do therefore is to avoid the streets and monitor unfolding event from our homes.”

Wilmot Paye, Chair, Unity Party

Mr. Paye went on to say that the call for supporters to boycott the protest is not a sign of weakness while showering praise who he claimed listened to him and stayed off the streets on December 30, 2019, the day the protest was earlier planned for. “What you did on December 30, 2019, by staying home was a protest all by itself. Please let us not give George Weah and his CDC any excuse since they are already failing. Let them fail on their own terms and conditions,” Unity Party chairman Paye said.

Moments after Mr. Paye’s news conference, Mr. Mo Ali, National Assistant Secretary General for Press, Publicity and Outreach, issued a statement, declaring that the entire Executive Committee of the UP and party faithful still affirm and support as declared by its Standard Bearer, Amb. Joseph N. Boakai, any peaceful gathering of any group of Liberians as provided for by the Constitution of Liberia.

UP Follows LP Squabbles

The UP says it is encouraging Liberians from all walks of life to help ensure the fulfillment of the country’s constitution including but not limited to the staging of peaceful assemblies. “The UP also appreciates the Ministry of Justice commitment to adhere to those basic democratic principles and provide security for any and all Liberians who desire to assemble peacefully.”

The disunity in the UP over the protest came hours after the opposition Liberty Party too was entangled in disagreement of its own.

Minutes after opposition Liberty Party issued a statement, backing the COP protest, the party’s political leader, Senator Karngar-Lawrence said she did not approve such statement.

LP’s Assistant Secretary-General Daniel Sando later confirmed that the statement issued by Kla Edward Toomey, Deputy Secretary-General, did not meet the approval of the party’s political leader, Nyonblee Karngar-Lawrence.

Sando said it was unfortunate that the statement surfaced in the media without the approval of Senator Karngar-Lawrence, but hinted the party was working on the matter.

COP Culpable If, MoJ Says

The division in the opposition camp over Monday’s protest comes as the Ministry of Justice announced Sunday that the government is strongly committed to preserving security and will do so whenever and wherever the COP or any other group stages any assembly, protest or demonstration of any mass size, including on January 6, 2020. The government however said, individuals comprising the leadership of the COP or any other group will be held personally, individually and collectively culpable and liable, under the law, for consequences associated with any violation of the laws of Liberia during any unauthorized demonstration and/or protest.

The ministry said peaceful assembly, petition, and expression are rights guaranteed in most democratic countries, including Liberia. However, no where are these rights absolute.

Said the MoJ statement: “International best practices and Liberian law do not preclude restrictions on place, time or manner of mass protests; provided the restrictions or requirements serve a legitimate public interest, such as public safety, and to guarantee that the rights of others are not infringed upon, such as the right of freedom of movement which is also guaranteed in Liberia’s constitution. In short, the government would not seek to restrict the right of small numbers of individuals to assemble at any time; however, mass protests in the capital city require prior approval, as government must provide security.”

The MoJ said it has demonstrated flexibility with regard to venue and date, and focused on preserving peace and security for all Liberians. Nevertheless, the ministry says, it has determined that a protest on 6 January 2020, the first day of school in the new year, as well as a workday in the location the COP desired, would unnecessarily infringe upon the ability of ordinary Liberian families to go about their business by obstructing primary transit routs. “Therefore, the government offered the COP 4 January 2020 instead, in an effort to accommodate the desire of the participants for a date close to their original request. We are disappointed that the COP is uninterested in what was seen by many Liberians and the international community as a reasonable compromise.”