MONROVIA – Madam Wadei Powell, an executive of the Liberty Party (LP) has told the National Elections Commission hearing officer that the only ‘original’ CPP Framework Document is that of the May 19, 2020 Document which was signed individually by leaders of the CPP via Zoom and was later revised before submission to the National Elections Commission.
She made the disclosure while being cross-examined by the ALP and the UP lawyers.
Her testimony corroborates Mr. Alexander Cummings’ testimony before the Monrovia City Court and the Criminal Court ‘C’ where he also said, it was impossible for him to produce ‘Original Framework Document of May 19, 2020’ as it was individually signed via Zoom.
In her testimony, she said what could be considered the original Framework Document is the one filed with the National Elections Commission.
However, lawyers representing the ANC and the Musa Bility fraction of the Liberty Party argued that Cummings testimony was never filed into evidence at the NEC, and it is a separate trial ongoing and cannot be introduced into the NEC hearing.
After minutes of cross-examining, lawyers representing the defendant called for continuance and promised to produce their witness and evidence on Wednesday, this week, and their request was granted by the hearing officers of the National Elections Commission.
Cummings’ testimony
The ANC Political Leader was requested to produce two copies of the original CPP Framework Document by the Monrovia Magisterial Court—a decision that was contested by Cummings’ legal team, but Criminal Court “A” Judge, Roosevelt Z. Willie, upheld the local court’s ruling, ordering Cummings to produce the document.
In answer to the question from the government’s lead prosecutor in the case, Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus, about the CPP original Framework Document, Cummings said the document does not exist and has never existed.
UP request denied
The Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC) last week denied a request from the Unity Party opting that the NEC recuse itself from the complaint filed by the ‘remaining fragment’ of the Collaborating Political Parties – the Liberty Party and the Alternative National Congress – because the issues raised can only be validated by the court, hence the case should be dismissed.
However, the NEC Board of Commissioners opined after reviewing their petition, there was no merit in the issues presented in the petition to warrant judicial review, and accordingly, the Board of Commissioners affirmed the hearing officer’s disposition of those issues without further discussion.
“Wherefore, and in view of the foregoing, petitioners’ petition is hereby denied; and because time is of the essence, the hearing officer is hereby directed to immediately resume jurisdiction and proceed as expeditiously as possible in keeping with law,” the NEC Board ruled.
The CPP under the signatures of the truncated Liberty Party and the embattled Alternative National Congress complained that the Unity Party and the All Liberian Party who claim to have exited the CPP, however, were not in accordance with the laid out procedure prescribed in CPP Framework Agreement, therefore, they should not be recognized by the NEC as individual political parties.
The contesting parties also argued that a clause in the CPP Framework Agreement forbids parties who exit the Collaboration from fielding candidates in an ensuing election in their name.
“There have been no official communications from the ALP or UP to either the CPP National Advisory Council or National Executive Committee regarding the said withdrawal. We also learned that both parties have requested the commission to bar the use of their name and logo from the CPP logo,” the communication stated.
However, the Unity Party argues that its withdrawal from the CPP was made public and that its executives were removed from the CPP WhatsApp chatroom upon the pronouncement.
NEC sources have informed FrontPageAfrica that the ongoing case has caused a delay in activities leading to the date for the Lofa County senatorial by-election. According to our source, if not for the case the list of candidates would have been published on Tuesday, April 5, 2022.
CPP animosity
The feud and animosity among executives and members of the shattered Collaborating Political Parties continue to intensify on a regular basis as evidenced by the latest request made by the Alternative National Congress (ANC) of Mr. Alexander Benedict Cummings and the Musa Hassan Bility’s fraction of the Liberty Party (LP) to the National Elections Commission (NEC) for the rejection of the former ruling Unity Party (UP) and the All Liberian Party (ALP) from contesting in the 2023 general and presidential elections.
They indicated in the complaint to the NEC: “Section 8.5 (2) of the CPP framework document states that: Constituent Party desiring to withdraw from the CPP shall first exhaust the dispute resolution mechanism stipulated in the framework document. If the Constituent Party which has satisfied the dispute resolution mechanism is not satisfied with the outcome, it shall file a resolution to withdraw from the CPP signed and duly executed by two-thirds (2/3) of the membership of the National Executive Committee, it is being understood, however, that a party withdrawing from the alliance prior to the next presidential, legislative and local elections shall not field candidates in its name”.
“As such, we hereby inform the Commission that we are invoking Section 8.5 (2) CPP framework document and requesting that the commission reject and deny any application from the ALP and UP to field candidates in their names in any election until the expiry of the 2023 elections, including up to six (6) months thereafter, same being the agreed contractual life of the CPP”.
In December last year, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ALP of the businessman turned politician Benoni Urey, announced that it was pulling out of the CPP on allegation of the altering of the framework document which brought the four parties together
Nearly two months later, the UP, through its Standard Bearer, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, on Wednesday, February 16, 2022, announced its withdrawal from the collaboration after what it called failed efforts to resolve the internal impasse within the party.
The impasse led to the filing of a lawsuit against Mr. Cummings, the chairman, and secretary-general of his political party.
Recently, the Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence fraction of the Liberty Party also announced its withdrawal from the CPP, accusing the ANC of allegedly altering the framework document in a resolution issued.