MONROVIA – Ambassador Joseph Boakai’s decision to select Senator Jeremiah Koung as his running mate comes with a heavy cost as his key political allies are boycotting today’s announcement to express their disapproval.
By Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
FrontPageAfrica has reliably learned from sources close to Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence that she would not be attending the ceremony, rather, she would be holding consultations with her supporters in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County as to which direction to go.
Sen. Lawrence was a key supporter of Boakai and stood firmly with him during the upheaval in the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) which the Unity Party later withdrew from.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, Senator Lawrence acknowledged that her support for Boakai resulted in an intra-party rivalry within the Liberty Party, which led to her expulsion from the party. As a consequence, the party has been embroiled in a series of litigations.
However, she disclosed in the press statement that irrespective of the strong partnership she along with the All Liberian Party (ALP) headed by Benoni Urey formed with the Boakai and the Unity Party, Boakai informed them on Tuesday that he has made up his mind to choose his running mate for the pending elections outside of the Liberty Party and the All Liberian Party.
She stated: “Upon conclusion of our brief meeting with Ambassador Boakai, we convened a meeting of the executive leadership of the Liberty Party to inform the leadership of our conversation with Ambassador Boakai.
“Consistent with our Party’s tradition, the executive leadership has unanimously resolved at its sitting to consult our various constituents across the country and in the diaspora and thereafter provide a clear direction for our partisans, many of whom had been anxiously waiting for the pronouncement of Ambassador Boakai. The consultations have begun, and in subsequent time, the public and our partisans and supporters will be duly informed of our direction for the 2023 elections.”
On the other hand, while the All Liberian Party has been mute on the issue, several members of the party have taken to social media to express their discontent and the party’s plan to boycott today’s program.
One of such ALP partisan is Johnnie Gbayelakpor who disclosed that the party would be on the watch for members who would attend the UP’s ceremony and would take action against them.
He posted to Facebook: “We won’t be part of any stage-managed program tomorrow. If our Youth Chairman dares the mandate from the political leader, he will be expelled with immediate effect. We have typed over 5000 expulsion letters for all those stubborn partisans wishing to attend. Once you’re seen at the Unity Party Headquarters, we will just insert your name and inbox you your letter. The All Liberian Party will boycott that Nonsense tomorrow. Nobody stupid here.”
On Wednesday, Amb. Boakai met with the ALP political leader, Urey at his Careysburg residence where he questioned Boakai about the firmness of his decision and whether he was ready to cope with the consequence that comes with selecting Sen. Koung as his vice standard bearer.
But being bent on his decision which he sees as his surest way to win the election, Boakai stuck with his decision.
According to insiders who were part of the conversation, Urey expressed disappointment and asked Boakai if he was willing to collaborate with Senators Prince Johnson and Edwin Snowe, who are often considered controversial figures. Some view these senators as a liability that may have an impact on Koung’s decision-making since they may try to exert their influence on him.
Although it has been reported that Mr. Boakai made a statement suggesting that he would work with Prince Johnson despite his personal dislike for him, this quotation has not been confirmed by FrontPageAfrica. Mo Ali, a political officer to Boakai, who was not present at the meeting, denied the quotation and clarified that Boakai expressed his willingness to collaborate with anyone, without specifying any individual.
Late last year, Jeremiah Koung assumed the role of the political leader of the Movement for Democratic Reconstruction (MDR), a political party established by Senator Prince Johnson, who stepped down from his position as a result of sanctions levied against him by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The sanctions were imposed due to allegations that Senator Johnson was involved in “pay-for-play” schemes, where he purportedly obtained significant sums of money from government ministries and organizations for his own gain. It was claimed that the implicated government ministries and organizations would launder a portion of the funding and distribute it back to the participating individuals.
The pay-for-play funding scheme involves millions of U.S. dollars. Johnson has also offered the sale of votes in multiple Liberian elections in exchange for money.
The sanctions against Johnson come under the Global Magnitsky Act, which authorizes the U.S. government to sanction those it sees as human rights offenders, freeze their assets, and ban them from entering the U.S.
According to political analysts, Senator Johnson, who wields considerable influence in Nimba County, the second most populous county in Liberia, is believed to have orchestrated the nomination of Koung as the Vice Presidential candidate for Boakai, in an effort to maintain his political relevance and power in the country’s governance. Johnson had previously endorsed Koung, which helped him secure a position in the House of Representatives and later the Liberian Senate.
During a recent press conference, Senator Johnson stated that he wants to see Nimba County produce the Vice President as a gateway to the highest office, and that he will be naming Rescue 2 from Nimba County, which he sees as a blessing.
It is worth noting that Johnson is a former warlord who killed ex-president Samuel K. Doe in 1990. Johnson was a strong supporter of the incumbent President, George Weah, during the 2017 runoff election, and his support played a pivotal role in securing close to 70 percent of the votes in Nimba for Weah. However, Johnson’s relationship with the President soured when he accused Weah of denying his fellow kinsmen and women lucrative positions in the government.
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