–Will Bility Emerge Victorious Amidst Discontent over Resubmission?

IPNEWS: Deadline date for surrender of the Farmington Agreement, as mandated by the Supreme Court Justice In Chambers, Her Hon. Jamestta Wolokollie, to the National Elections Commission has expired with straight adherence by the National Elections Commission (NEC)

It may be recaleld, the Supreme Court Justice in Chambers, ordered the return of the controversial 2021 Constitution to Liberty party.

The order according to the Supreme Court Justice in Chambers, is to ensure its correction in line with the Farmington Memorandum signed by Mr. Bility and Senator Karnga-Lawrence, and also attested to by members of the National Advisory Council, Liberty Party.

The action by the Supreme Court Justice in Chambers, followed a petition for Prohibition to prohibit all further activities by Mr. Bility and the National Elections Commission pursuant to issues involving him and Senator Karnga-Lawrence faction of the Liberty Party that are being handled at the level of the NEC.

“To this end, We communicated with The National Elections Commission to again formally withdraw the altered constitution submitted by Mr. Bility and Mr. Martin Kollah, and on yesterday May 1, communicated with all the signatories to the Farmington MOU including Mr. Bility for a meeting at 9am today to ensure that the proper corrections in keeping with the MOU are made and signed for resubmission to The NEC.”

“As the meeting was about to start, we received a text message from Mr. Bility informing us that he and his team worked with The NEC yesterday to correct and resubmit the constitution in our absence, in fulfillment of the 72 hours mandate which he thought expired yesterday. We informed Mr. Bility that in keeping with the Liberian civil procedure law section 1.7 the 72 hours does not include Sunday and therefore expires today; sent him a copy of the law and encouraged him and his team to attend the meeting. Also he was informed that NEC has no jurisdiction over our corrections process, and doing it together as a party was in keeping with the mandate from the court, The NEC regulation and The Liberty Party Constitution. Up to the end of the 72 hours today, there was no response from Mr. Bility.” Senator Karnga-Lawrence stated.

The Grand Bassa county Senator, told Partisans that the mandate of the Honorable Supreme Court is well on course and victory is certain shortly.

Senator Karnga-Lawrence: “We are pleased to announce that we have concluded the process in keeping with the mandate of the court, and have resubmitted the corrected version of the constitution in keeping with the Farmington MOU and The NEC regulation 3.4 (d) which states:

d. Within 10 days following the convention a political party shall submit to the commission a list of its national and local officials, including those of the national executive committee indicating the political sub-division that each of them represents. Said submission shall be under the signatures of both the chairperson and Secretary General of the convention committee.”

“We wish to note that Mr. Musa Bility was not the Chairman of the convention and should not have signed and submitted the constitution to the NEC and still has no such authority to sign and resubmit after the alterations are changed to the actual versions.”

The Senator however admitted that indeed the NEC submitted the Farmington Agreement are currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court Justice in Chambers.

“I wish to state that as an institution that was established to play its rightful role in the building of a democratic culture with its attending benefits anchored on good governance and the observance of rule of law, wè must keep our focus on those values. Wè must not fall prèy to the manipulation of individuals and institutions that could be promoting external agenda.”

“Let me therefore use this occasion to call out the National Elections Commission for the unfortunate role it played and continues to play in fueling our intra-party conflict. The problem wè have in LP today May not have reached this far, had NEC acted properly within the scope of its rules and regulations. Today, it remains a searching question why NEC, having received the Farmington Report in which the parties committed to correcting the constitution, insisted on recognizing the instrument as an authentic document, and why The NEC is still getting involved with guiding our corrections process ?” Senator Karnga-Lawrence questioned.

She further told Liberty Party Partisans that inasmuch that the NEC’s Guidelines clearly provides how political parties should file convention reports, the NEC’s rules also frown on, and regard as an offense, the submission of false and misleading information to it.

Madam Karnga-Lawrence wonders why did it flow with the 2021 Constitution, even after the facts where made available to it?

“By its handling of this matter, NEC has not only proven its dishonorability and partiality in this matter, but has also raised the red flag against itself. 2023 is such a defining moment for the peace of Liberia. Wè will not leave it to chance. Hence, in the coming days and weeks, wè will engage stakeholders from a broad spectra of the society in the view of forming a consolidated position on the NEC, as is currently constituted.”

“Fellow partisans and members of the public, I wish to inform you that our actions in the past several weeks and months were not about pursuing the option of a zero sum game. With the decision from the Supreme Court, which represents a significant step in the direction of setting Liberty Party on its proper course, I am appealing to all partisans to cease all hostilities, on the social and conventional media as well as in other forms and manners. In the days to come, wè will take specific actions intended to heal the Party and move forward.”

“Fellow partisans, I wish to conclude this statement by informing you that all other legal matters before the Lower Court remain. Pending their resolution, I, again, call for calm amongst our partisans. Of paramount importance, those of us who hold leadership roles must take the lead as wè endeavor to bring calm to Liberty Party.” Senator Karnga-Lawrence concluded.

See full Text of Senator Karnga-Lawrence statement.

Press Statement by Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, Political Leader of Liberty Party regarding the Supreme Court’s Mandate
on the Liberty Party Constitution of 2021

May 2, 2022

Members of the Fourth Estate, fellow partisans:

On Friday, April 29, 2022, the Supreme Court Justice In Chambers, Her Hon. Jamestta Wolokollie, mandated the National Elections Commission to return the controversial 2021 Constitution to our party in order to ensure its correction in line with the Farmington Memorandum signed by Mr. Bility and myself, and attested to by members of the National Advisory Council.

This action followed a petition for Prohibition to prohibit all further activities by Mr. Bility and the National Elections Commission pursuant to issues involving him and us that are being handled at the level of the NEC.

To this end, We communicated with The National Elections Commission to again formally withdraw the altered constitution submitted by Mr. Bility and Mr. Martin Kollah, and on yesterday May 1, communicated with all the signatories to the Farmington MOU including Mr. Bility for a meeting at 9am today to ensure that the proper corrections in keeping with the MOU are made and signed for resubmission to The NEC.

As the meeting was about to start, we received a text message from Mr. Bility informing us that he and his team worked with The NEC yesterday to correct and resubmit the constitution in our absence, in fulfillment of the 72 hours mandate which he thought expired yesterday. We informed Mr. Bility that in keeping with the Liberian civil procedure law section 1.7 the 72 hours does not include Sunday and therefore expires today; sent him a copy of the law and encouraged him and his team to attend the meeting. Also he was informed that NEC has no jurisdiction over our corrections process, and doing it together as a party was in keeping with the mandate from the court, The NEC regulation and The Liberty Party Constitution. Up to the end of the 72 hours today, there was no response from Mr. Bility.

We are pleased to announce that we have concluded the process in keeping with the mandate of the court, and have resubmitted the corrected version of the constitution in keeping with the Farmington MOU and The NEC regulation 3.4 (d) which states:

d. Within 10 days following the convention a political party shall submit to the commission a list of its national and local officials, including those of the national executive committee indicating the political sub-division that each of them represents. Said submission shall be under the signatures of both the chairperson and Secretary General of the convention committee.

We wish to note that Mr. Musa Bility was not the Chairman of the convention and should not have signed and submitted the constitution to the NEC and still has no such authority to sign and resubmit after the alterations are changed to the actual versions.

However, copies of the resubmitted version signed by the Convention Chairperson and the convention Secretary General in keeping with the NEC above regulation, has also been sent to the office of the Justice in chambers.

I wish to state that as an institution that was established to play its rightful role in the building of a democratic culture with its attending benefits anchored on good governance and the observance of rule of law, wè must keep our focus on those values. Wè must not fall prèy to the manipulation of individuals and institutions that could be promoting external agenda.

Let me therefore use this occasion to call out the National Elections Commission for the unfortunate role it played and continues to play in fueling our intra-party conflict. The problem wè have in LP today May not have reached this far, had NEC acted properly within the scope of its rules and regularions. Today, it remains a searching question why NEC, having receiived the Farmington Report in which the parties committed to correcting the constitution, insisted on recognizing the instrument as an authentic document, and why The NEC is still getting involved with guiding our corrections process ?

Apart from the NEC’s Guidelines that clearly provides how political parties should file convention reports, the NEC’s rules also frown on, and regard as an offense, the submission of false and misleading information to it. Why did it flow with the 2021 Constitution, even after the facts where made available to it?

By its handling of this matter, NEC has not only proven its dishonorability and partiality in this matter, but has also raised the red flag against itself. 2023 is such a defining moment for the peace of Liberia. Wè will not leave it to chance. Hence, in the coming days and weeks, wè will engage stakeholders from a broad spectra of the society in the view of forming a consolidated position on the NEC, as is currently constituted.

Fellow partisans and members of the public, I wish to inform you that our actions in the past several weeks and months were not about pursuing the option of a zero sum game. With the decision from the Supreme Court, which represents a significant step in the direction of setting Liberty Party on its proper course, I am appealing to all partisans to cease all hostilities, on the social and conventional media as well as in other forms and manners. In the days to come, wè will take specific actions intended to heal the Party and move forward.

Fellow partisans, I wish to conclude this statement by informing you that all other legal matters before the Lower Court remain. Pending their resolution, I, again, call for calm amongst our partisans. Of paramount importance, those of us who hold leadership roles must take the lead as wè endeavor to bring calm to Liberty Party.

Thank you.