MONROVIA – Members of the Collaborating Political Parties Legislative Caucus Thursday met and elected new officials to head the caucus for the next eight months. Representative Papa Kolleh (ALP -District #7 Bong County) was elected chairman.
Leadership positions were divided amongst the four collaborating political parties. The All Liberian Party (ALP) was elected chairman, Former ruling Unity party (UP) took the Secretary General position, while the Liberty party (LP) is the Co-Cahir and the Alternative National Congress (ANC) Assistant Secretary General.
In an interview with legislative reporters, Representative Kolleh said, the meeting by the caucus was intended to solidify the CPP caucus in making a difference in terms of how they work on national issues. “We will work to strengthen the leadership of the CPP and engage the government positively on issues affecting the country,” Rep. Joseph P. Kolleh CPP caucus chairman.
Speaking further, he also told reporters that with such collaboration, issues at the legislature can no longer be “business as usual”.
“CPP will make sure we hold the floor and will scrutinize any document that will be put on the floor,” he said.
“The CPP will not just allow anyone to just speak on any political issue that will be reversed later, we will work with our leaders on issues and come out with one voice.”
– Rep. Papa Kolleh, Chairman, CPP Legislative Caucus
For his part, Representative Hason Kaizulu of the Unity Party (UP-District -#17) and secretary general of the Caucus supported his chairman’s comments and further explained that with the new collaboration, lawmakers of the CPP will no longer scrutinize issues based on individual party mandate but will do so under the mandate of the CPP.
“The CPP will not just allow anyone to just speak on any political issue that will be reversed later, we will work with our leaders on issues and come out with one voice.”
Recently, the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) comprising of the All Liberian Party (ALP), Alternative National Congress (ANC), Liberty Party (LP) and the Unity Party (UP) has signed a legal framework document with a call on leaders of each political parties to put their differences aside and work in the interest of the Liberian people.
There had been a somehow tough exchange of words between Benoni Urey, the Political leader of the ALP, and Alexander B. Cummings of the ANC, something that drew criticisms from a segment of the public and raised doubts on whether the collaboration will hold.
But in his opening remarks at the signing of the ‘Final Collaborative Framework Document’ at the Farmington Hotel on Tuesday, May 19, the outgoing Chairman of the CPP, Benoni Urey, said despite their disagreement on some political issues, the CPP will always put the collective interest of Liberians first.