Liberia: NPP Chairman James Biney Expresses Concern Over Hijacking, Thwarting Of the Party’s Constitution

MONROVIA – The Chairman of the former ruling National Patriotic Party (NPP), James Biney has alarmed over the alleged thwarting of the party’s constitution by its standard-bearer Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor.

Mr. Biney is a former lawmaker of electoral district # 1 in Maryland County.

According to him, the NPP is gradually becoming an “individual-controlled entity” under the regime of standard bearer Jewel Howard Taylor.

Mr. Biney’s assertions were contained in a statement posted on the social media recently.

“I and many have invested too much to see what was once Liberia most democratic party become an individual-controlled entity. If the court doesn’t come in to rescue NPP, the party will become the Standard Bearer’s PROPERTY and the property of anyone who becomes Standard Bearer tomorrow”.

Mr. Biney pointed out that most partisans of the NPP are frustrated because they, too, labored for this government to come to being and are qualified but have not yet been given consideration to work in government.

“To them, I say the efforts in this regard continue and we can be assured more partisans will have something to do. However, let’s delineate the job issue from the cogent issue of people printing what they call NPP 2016 Constitution”

He expressed dismay over the printing of the former ruling party’s constitution without the consent or input of vast majority of members of the National Executive Committee.

“I and many have invested too much to see what was once Liberia most democratic party become an individual-controlled entity. If the court doesn’t come in to rescue NPP, the party will become the Standard Bearer’s PROPERTY and the property of anyone who becomes Standard Bearer tomorrow”.

– James Biney, Embattled Chairman, NPP

“When anyone can print anything, without the proper authorization and safeguards, and impose it as the new constitution, such organisation is bound to be one of confusion, no matter who heads it”

He disclosed that the current crisis within the NPP borders on the “unconstitutionality of the document the Standard Bearer Taylor is using as the basis for her new sweeping powers”.

He added that the new constitution seeks to ensure that no one, even the Chairman, Vice Chair, or even the Secretary General of the NPP can do any administrative work except by the consent of the party’s standard bearer.

“She can contest for Standard Bearer for as many times as she deems necessary; she can write on behalf of the Party to even the Elections Commission, etc. All of these are unprecedented in political history in Liberia and people, elderly as well, support the Standard Bearer in this”.

Speaking further, Mr. Biney vowed to do everything possible to resist the destruction of the former ruling party of ex-Liberian President Charles Ghankay Taylor.

“I never had the opportunity to work in the NPP-led government yet I stayed and contributed what I could. I rose on merit (by elections, not appointments) through the ranks of the NPP, from Maryland National Patriotic Youth Council Chair – NPYC (at the time McGill was Gbarpolu NPYC Chair as well), Chairman Maryland County, National Vice Chair and before becoming National Chairman of this noble party”

“My decades of raw labor is engraved in the success of NPP and I will never do anything to destroy it”.

He bragged of being with the NPP since its creation adding that, he has “never ever left this party for another one”.

“As a youth living with my mom, I walked from town to town and from village to village establishing the NPP in the Southeast”.

Mr. Biney, however, disclosed that the on-going county convention was a mandate given to this leadership by the Bassa Convention held on February 16, 2016 to implement before the next National Convention.

“As we have never had county conventions since Mr. Taylor left this country, I can just say thanks to our appointed officials in government for the splendid outcome in Kakata”.

 For sometimes now, the NPP has been rocked with controversy over the holding of local convention at the county levels to elect officials of the party ahead of the national convention in December 2020.