MONROVIA – A high ranking executive committee member of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Representative Larry Younquoi, has expressed dismay and frustration over the longstanding impasse within the opposition bloc at a time Liberia and its citizens are yielding for a genuine change in every sector.
Representative Younquoi is a member of the Alternative National Congress (ANC). The ANC is one of the political parties that make up the CPP. Other parties that are part of the collaboration include: the former ruling Unity Party (UP), All Liberian Party (ALP) and the Liberty Party (LP).
For some times now, the CPP has been rocked with internal wrangling over whom to head the ticket of the collaboration ahead of the 2023 general and presidential elections.
It has also been characterized with the institution of multiple lawsuits against some leaders within the CPP.
But speaking in an interview with FrontPage Africa via telephone recently, Representative Younquoi blamed the current situation within the CPP to partisans and supporters unbending quest to ensure that former Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai heads the CPP’s ticket for 2023.
He noted that these UP partisans and supporters failed to initially implore ideas to make the framework document suitable for the actualization of their political leader’s ambition.
“Most of them who do not have voting right in the CPP feel that Mr. Boakai has been around for sometimes and he should be the President. But they did not convince him that when the frame work was being put together, he shouldn’t have allowed it to be an open field that anybody who is interested should be able to vie for the Standard Bearer position”.
He recalled that previous merger documents which bind other political parties together, including the UP, Liberia Action Party (LAP) among others clearly set aside the standard bearer position to a specific individual, but the current framework document which establishes the CPP falls short of doing so.
Representative Younquoi observed that the framework document is not presently being adhered to in its totality.
He noted that the document did not clearly specify the name of any of the political leaders of the four parties to serve as Standard Bearer of the CPP for the 2023 elections.
Representative Younquoi added that the framework document only gives right to leaders and others to express their interest in the standard bearer position of the party.
“The rule of the game should be adhered to. The framework document should be allowed to play out. The document has not been violated, but people are expressing their interest to now contest the Standard Bearer position”.
Welcoming court’s action
Mr. Cummings was taken to court by the Political Leader of the ALP for allegedly altering the CPP’s framework document to suit him and his political party.
The case, which is currently before the court, has gained public interest.
Representative Younquoi welcomed the lawsuit instituted against his political leader.
He added that though the move is part of improving democracy, the lawsuit was not the best way forward to resolve the impasse within the CPP.
“It’s unfortunate that the CPP internal conflict ended into court. As part of the process of democracy, I welcome the lawsuit and do support the idea of people going to court because that’s the essence of democracy. That why the ANC is putting itself together to allow its Standard Bearer to go through it”.
Coming in defense of Cummings
Mr. Cummings has been classified as being very “Desperate” to head the ticket of the CPP by vast majority of executives, partisans and supporters of the UP and ALP.
On numerous occasions, he has ruled out the possibility of coming second to Mr. Boakai of the UP as the ticket for the 2023 elections.
Many political pundits believe that the Boakai-Cummings ticket could be “winnable” if Mr. Cummings puts aside his desperation and allow Mr. Boakai to head the ticket.
But Representative Younquoi pointed out that his political leader is desperate to contest the presidency because, he intends to bring “decency” to the governance process of Liberia and ensuring that Liberians have food on their tables as compare to the elites.
He added that Mr. Cummings intend to also realign Liberia with its international partners and attract foreign-direct investment opportunities to provide job opportunities for citizens.
“What is wrong to be desperate to what you what to do and have passion for? Is it a crime? I don’t think so as long as your desperation do not lead to stealing people resources. ANC is the highest contributor to the CPP”.
He maintained that some of the political leaders within the CPP are “running away” from the conduct of the primary for the Standard Bearer position for fear that “somebody has so much money as to others”.
Dashing citizens’ hope
“The citizens are right to think that we are dashing their hope. They have thought that the CPP could have solved its problems internally”.
Representative Younquoi added that Liberians do not want to see themselves suffering for another six years under a Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led government.
“If they claim that Cummings has so much money, they should go ahead and give him the Standard Bearer position. But they are running away from their own shadow and they are dashing the hope of the Liberian people who really want to see a change”.
Delinquency
Representative Younquoi claimed that apart from the ANC, most of the other parties within the CPP have allegedly failed to pay their dues to the collaboration for several years now.
He noted that Mr. Cummings has been covering up to ensure that the CPP remains alive ahead of the elections in 2023.
He, however, expressed the hope that despite the internal wrangling and barrage of lawsuits, the CPP will not break away even if few political parties decide to leave the collaboration.
Representative Younquoi maintained that the remaining parties that will remain within the CPP will provide the direction and leadership for Liberia and its citizens.
He further urged leaders of the CPP to put the interest of Liberia and its citizens above their personal interest if the country is to be on par with others in terms of infrastructural and economic growth and developments.