By: Varney Dukuly
MONROVIA: Former Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has asserted that a new movement is underway to restore what he called Liberia’s lost image while urging citizens to get ready because Liberia will rise again.
“In the coming days, you will begin to see a mass movement of Liberians, both at home and abroad, subscribing to this vessel of honor, with a strong determination to restore Liberia’s lost image. Get ready, Liberia will rise again!” he said.
Ex-VP Boakai’s statement followed the June 3 ruling of the Supreme Court of Liberia which, among other things, ruled that the Unity Party can field a candidate in the Lofa County Senatorial by-elections.
The former Vice President described the high court’s ruling as a momentous victory for the people of Liberia and signifies renewed hope that Liberia is on its way to experience selfless and quality leadership.
According to him, the victory in the ruling is not only limited to the People of Lofa County instead the people of Liberia who are yearning for a trusted leadership.
“As Standard Bearer of the ever-potent Unity Party, I congratulate the legal team headed by former Chief Justice, Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott, UP Chairman, Amin Modad, and the leadership of the Party, the legislative caucus, partisans and supporters of the UP, the All Liberian Party of my good friend, Benoni Urey, and Liberty Party of our distinguished Senator, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, for this remarkable success.”
The UP Standard Bearer is at the same time predicting that the legal victory is the beginning of what will happen in the ensuing Legislative and Presidential elections in the country.
Recently, the opposition Unity Party, headed by Mr. Boakai, took an appeal to the full bench of the Supreme Court after arguments at the level of the National Elections Commission.
The legal wrangling arouse when the Unity Party announced its exit from the Collaborating Political Parties, citing violation of the CPP framework document that binds them together.
The case was between the Unity Party and All Liberian Party versus the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), by and thru the Alternative National Congress (ANC) and Liberty Parties, the complainant.
The CPP contended that the Unity Party and the All Liberian Party failed to follow the procedure leading to exit as called for in section 8.5(2) of the framework document, therefore, the UP should not be made to field a candidate in any given election including the Lofa County Senatorial by-election and the 2023 presidential and legislative elections.
But, the Supreme Court, in its June 3, noted that the National Elections Commission (NEC), acted rightly when it declined to address the request contained in the UP’s and ALP complaint.
The Supreme Court: “that the Supreme Court acknowledges and subscribes to Article 25, of the Constitution of Liberia which adheres to the principle of sanctity of contract, however, where a contract violates the constitution or any statutory law, such contract has no sanctity to be upheld.”
The Court added that the purported section 8.5(2) of framework document of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) which prevents constituent political parties of the CPP that had duly withdrawn from the said CPP from fielding candidate in an election violates Article 17 & 79 of the constitution.
“Wherefore and in view of the foregoing, the ruling of the Hearing Officer which was confirmed by the Board of Commissioners of the NEC is hereby reversed.”
The Supreme Court’s decision permits the UP and the ALP to field candidate in any given election or venture in political activities if they so desired.
