Liberia: Unity Party USA/CA Chapter Suspends Chairman Dwanyen, but a Faction of the Party Rejects Suspension

Monrovia – The National Executive Committee of the Unity Party United States of America and Canada chapter has suspended its chairman Kerper Dwanyen and at the same time  invited Hon. Estella Wehye and Hon. Nohn Kidau for questioning.

The NEC said he’s suspended on act they deemed inimical to the growth of the party among other things, let him respond to that

According to a press release under the signature of the Secretary General of the chapter, Saywala Kennedy, Kidau and Wehye have been called in for questioning due to what the National Executive Committee of the chapter deemed inimical to the growth of the party.

Kennedy said Dwanyen was suspended for allegedly leading the UPUSA/CA in “a direction inconsistent with the mother Party in Liberia”, which is Kennedy said runs contrary to the purpose of the establishment of UPUSA/CA.

Kennedy also claimed that Dwanyen allegedly established a political group that has competing interests with that of the Unity Party Liberia, which, he said, is in violation of the party’s Constitution.

“Mr. Chairman and members of the Unity Party Liberia, please consider this communication as our official notice informing the Unity Party Liberia, moving forward, please relate all party related communications to office of the Acting National Chairman Mr. Erasmus Tiampa Williams,” Kennedy said in a release.

Meanwhile, Mr. Williams, according to Kennedy, has assumed the role as Acting National chairman consistent with Article 13 Section 2. of the UPUSA/CA constitution, which, according to Kennedy states: “the 1st National Vice Chairman shall serve as the principal deputy to the National Chairman, this article also states that the 1st Vice Chairman shall perform the duty of the National Chairman in the absence of the National Chairman.”

Meanwhile, another faction of the UPUSA/CA has said that the publication issued under the signature of Kennedy announcing the suspension of the National Chairman Dwayen based on a “purported meeting” is a fabrication. 

According to Helroz Zorleh, Assistant Secretary General of UPUSA/CA, the meeting called by the First Vice Chairman Erasmus Williams, was attended by a “handful of lawless Executive Committee members constituting a small minority and the assumption of the title of Acting Chairman by Williams as fabrication with no basis in the Constitution”.

The National Chairman, according to Zorleh, is the Presiding Officer of all meetings and did not convene this purported coup d’ etat gathering. 

“The First Vice Chairman has no authority to assemble a meeting except in the absence of incapacity of the National Chairman. Additionally, there are no provisions in the Constitution for suspending elected officials, Zorleh says.

“The public is hereby advised to disregard all fraudulent postings based on attention seeking gangster political actors. Liberia needs the rule of law as its foundation for delivering the suffering masses out of poverty and despair.”

The so called suspension is of no effect. The Unity Party USA and Canada constitution does not provide for suspending elected officials. The 1st Vice Chairman convened an unconstitutional gathering of a small minority of Executive Committee members without the authority to do so as the National Chairman convenes and presides over those sessions except in his absence or incapacitation.

Dwanyen: Allegations are baseless

Meanwhile, Dwayen in his response said allegations levied against him are baseless and designed to misinform the public in a fruitless effort to shield the former Women’s Congress Chair Bendu Hunter who is claiming to be the niece of Standard Bearer Boakai.

Dwanyen claimed Hunter calls herself “untouchable”,  and is refusing to abide by policies and procedures, and at the same time disrespecting women of the Congress and other leaders in the chapter. 

Madam Hunter, according to Dwayen, is an appointee under Chapter’s constitution and has herself written in the recent past that she serves at the will and pleasure of her appointing authority.

“Due to her ceaseless misconduct for nearly 9 months, she was reassigned  but continues to defiantly impersonate as Women’s Congress Chair in various social media and internet platforms,” Dwayen says.

“The vast majority of Executive Committee members and partisans are greatly disappointed by the lawless action of these leaders determined to disrespect our constitution and bring harm to the reputation of our noble institution for the sake of one person. We urge them to understand that Liberia’s growth and development requires firm adherence to the rule of law without fear or favor and desist immediately from any further actions outside the scope of our constitution which we adopted unanimously. As National Chairman, my vow is to defend and uphold the constitution and will do so without fear or favor.”