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Recent waves of prejudicial proxy fights within the ranks of the most formidable opposition collaboration may have appeared to define the pragmatic objectives of some alliance parties within the CPP. Some alliance members questioning the readiness of the CPP to lead come 2023, along with the fraudulent and nefarious personality painting done without the involvement of other collaborating members, are the woes many pundits have allegedly inferred as tragedy in this garden of integrity, the CPP. With these latest threats of insincerity festering in the quarters of the Liberian society, the ordinary people still feel relieved that there are characters within the CPP, which hold the integrity spokes and shall deliver them to victory against the ongoing mass looting and ritualistic disappearance in the motherland. However, the mass turnout during the taking over ceremony of the former VP as Chairman of the CPP validates the people’s confidence reposed in the most popular character within the CPP. Such heroic turnout seems to radiate the caution that the Unity Party Standard Bearer still carries the hope of the impoverished masses --- his readiness to lead cannot be questioned by any governmental inexperience corporate bureaucrat least to mention.
Though many meaningful partisans of the CPP are amazingly optimistic about the framework document guiding the constituent political parties to an eventual merger as intimated in Article 4, Section 4.3 of the FINAL COLLABORATIVE FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT (FCFD) of the CPP adopted and accepted on April 25, 2020, it is yet an open secret that there are two significantly influential assemblages of partisans that the framework refused to reflect in its governance structure in Article 6 of the framework document --- Women Congregation and the Youth Caucus. Even though the CPP in its dominant will, convincingly represents seven out of the eight core values spelled out in the framework document, but the fourth core value of ‘Inclusiveness’ as enshrined in Article 1 Section 1.5 of the FCFD is replete with logical inconsistency to the fundamental principle of law – Generality.
If society should define inclusiveness in the context of democracy relative to party politicking, then the idea of going to alliance only for the dignity and respect of the National Executives without any recognition to those political blocs with supra-numerical strength was a superfluous thought flow inspired with dingy wit. While it is recorded in the governance structure of the CPP as it relates decision making, there is no section or clause in the FCFD which ascribes any vital role to the women and youth in the constituent parties, except for the National Assembly, National Advisory Council, National Executive Committee and the National Secretariat, where some women are compelled to function because they officially occupied similar positions in their respective parties and the youths are totally blown away from participating in the chronicled happenings of the CPP. If we are to rationally profess, that the FCFD suppresses the expansion of feminism and the evolution of upright youths --- it affirms the CPP's failure to recognize the role of the women and the youth in calling for the hopeful merger.
Since the report of clandestine changes in the FCFD broke out, many thought those changes would have made a better digestion to the understanding of the partisans and well-wishers of the CPP. To an extent, most critical minds thought those changes would have reflected any due relevance to the women and youths of the CPP instead they were erected pillars to fortress a bulwark for the nefarious and fraudulent characters in the CPP who have grown flamingly corrosive in their greed for power. Cogently, the CPP as an institution for the respect of the rule of law will need to revisit the altered framework as a wholesome entity to print a space in its governance structure for the involvement of the women and youths in the decision-making process of the CPP. This action will help ease some tensions which have been aroused from the integral value of inclusiveness. This decision of giving women a clear and dutiful role in the decision-making process will amount to the CPP's willingness to instill trust and confidence in their power to help firmly for the CPP to hold stronger together. The youths, another large number of partisans compelling functions in the CPP are yet to be identified. Both the women congregation and the youth caucus are inseparable influencers from any progressive move of the CPP, hence they should be accorded political justice. Any revolution whose aggrandizement premeditates marginalization of women and youths is a cancer in the courage of the masses' redemption.
Grades Sheet Of The CPP As It Concerns The Eight (8) Core Values Of The CPP:
The first Chairperson of the CPP immediately after the FCFD was accepted on April 25, 2020, was the Alternative National Congress, ANC Standard Bearer, Mr. Alexander Cummings who turned over to the Liberty Party, through its Political Leader Senator Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence on January 19, 2021, twenty (24) days after his tenure officially expired. Here are the marks achieved in the opinionated perspective of this author through their realistic implementations of the CPP core values. This systematic grading is void of prejudice for either of the former chairpersons.
EQUALITY: It is clearly stipulated in the FCFD that every constituent political party should be accorded equal treatment in the CPP decision-making process. The former CPP Chairman, Mr. Cummings never conducted himself in any convincing position when he unilaterally wrote the ruling establishment requesting to form part of the stimulus package distribution team, he then lost the compass to direct him to the value of equality. He was controlled by the power of the chairmanship with no slight thought of seeking other Advisory Council members. This grave offense coupled with many vices reward him the grade of C. Unlike Chairman Cummings, Madam Kangar-Lawrence was never seen out of the spectrum taking any unilateral decision, she respected every Council Member and acted in accordance with the FCFD, she hereby received the grade of B+.
TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY: Most of what has brought the CPP to public disrepute in recent time emanates from the failure of the former CPP Chairman to constitute a committee to review the changes made by the CPP legal team instead he clandestinely submitted the altered document to the National Elections Commission without any consultation to the National Advisory Council. This act of grossly violating Article 7, Section 7.4 of FCFD validates Mr. Cummings lack of transparency and accountability as a leader, therefore he is graded with a C. In the case of the Political Leader of the Liberty Party, Senator Kangar-Lawrence, she led the CPP with transparency and accountability but faltered in the case of the controversial USD 30,000 clandestinely placed in the national budget by the upper house. Her reflections as a political leader set her apart from donning in corruption, hence she achieved the grade of C+.
INTEGRITY: Many stakeholders in the CPP experienced the shame and disgrace the former Chairman of the CPP brought to the CPP when it was agreed that every alliance party to the CPP support individual partisans in the 2020 Montserrado District #9 by-election, but through vicious means, Mr. Cummings manipulated the National Elections Commission by dubiously submitting his party Financial Secretary Mr. Fubbi F. A. Henries as the CPP’s which is a blatant violation of Article 10, Section 10.5.1, Section 10.5.2, and Section 10.5.3 of the FCFD. Worst of the many woes was the act of forcibly endorsing a candidate for the CPP slot without the notice of the National Advisory Council (NAC), this act of dishonesty allows only the former CPP Chairman to sign the endorsement certificate of the only dubiously illegal CPP candidate. This action on the part of Mr. Cummings smeared the CPP against its value of Integrity, hence he accumulates a grade of D. On the contrary, Madam Kangar-Lawrence exhibited a high level of integrity when she consulted the Advisory Council on every matter of the CPP. Most especially on the issue of integrity, she convened a meeting to highlight to the council that her tenure was about to expire and she was accepted in a majority decision at the NAC that she continues to provide leadership for the CPP until such meeting was termed as violating the FCFD by Mr. Cummings. In a nutshell, she scored a B+ in the value for integrity.
INCLUSIVENESS: As we have maintained in our premised positions, that the CPP has done nothing encouraging to promote the Women Congregation and the Youth Caucus as recognized and standing blocs of the CPP, both previous leaders of the CPP made no advancement in bringing this problem to the required solution. It’s no wonder why revolution without the emancipation of women and the promotion of youths has in its anal the bruises of the deliberate aggrandizements at the detriment of the victims. Unless something meaningful is done the value of inclusiveness is a boldfaced mirage. Based on the failure of both leaders to broaden and brand these factions of the constituent parties they graded equally with a grade of F --- Mr. Cummings got F and Senator Kangar-Lawrence got an F.
RESPECT FOR THE RULE OF LAW: Any leader who is contemptuous to the rule of law seems to be a disguised dictator outrageously longing for conditions and circumstances to silence the validity of a law. If we are to fairly get back to our political journals and remind ourselves about the wreckage of this ship of the CPP, the disrespect to the rule of law indulged by Mr. Cummings of the ANC, we could safely predict that the acts of arrogance and pomposity defined the true nature of the ANC standard-bearer. Though the former CPP chairman, Mr. Alexander Cummings consistently violated the FCFD, and based on this grave offense he resorts in trepidation regarding his fate in the CPP. Importantly, the Nimba primary was held before the December 8, 2020 elections which reflected Madam Edith Gongloe Wreh instead of the ANC Mr. Taa Wongbe, Mr. Cummings exhibited no respect for the rule of law, he went on initially objecting to the primary result while holding the gable as Chairman. Mr. Cummings went on to campaign for a non-alliance member by protesting the result which was nullified and harshly rejected by Mr. Wongbe with no disciplinary action against Mr. Wongbe. This market of impudence to the sacredness of the FCFD rewards Mr. Cummings the grade of D. However, Senator Kangar-Lawrence on the other hand conducted herself during her stewardship and everything that was required for the respect of the rule of law was followed to the concurrence of the other collaborators. A notable reference to her respect for the rule of law was by constituting a grievance council as indicated in Article 7, Section 7.5.1, even though the ANC decline through its Leader who objected to the agreement to permit the Liberty party to lead the CPP for the added 25 days as in the case with her predecessor, Mr. Cummings. Therefore, we score Senator Kangar-Lawrence with grade B.
PEACE & UNITY: For peace and unity to shine at uniform rates amongst the partisans of the CPP, it has to firstly reflect the chairperson of the CPP and the many integration platforms created by the leader of the CPP to have a wholesome integration of the collaboration. For one to preach peace and unity in the CPP you must have settled all of the internal boils within the constituent party you legally represent at the NAC. With these little points, Mr. Cummings receives the mark of B while Senator Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence obtains the mark of C+.
DISCIPLINE AND HARD WORK: To the value of discipline and hard work, the ANC Standard Bearer falls a bit below the mark of good. The ANC SB most recent outbursts against the CPP brought a rain drizzle of criticism on the credibility of the CPP to take power. His attitude of walking out a CPP meeting on matter and position he served against the rotational eight months of chairmanship given him as per the FCFD. The ANC rained of press statements against the image of the CPP renders Mr. Alexander Cummings indiscipline and the courage to endure hard work. We are poised therefore to score him with C+. Yet, Senator Kangar-Lawrence with all her legislative functions she has acted in concordance with the NAC in making sure the matters of the CPP are adequately catered to. She confronted those seemingly difficult moments in the Liberty Party and the CPP with the courage of resolution. We, therefore, score her a grade of B.
GENDER EQUITY: Gender equity as defined by the FCFD in Article 4, Section 4.6 is for the sole purpose of balancing the gender discrepancy which has drastically reduced in public service. This core value of the CPP is conveniently in no pole position within the CPP. It is an expression that has allowed the few women who have been designated by the alliance party without any frame of reference to the Women league of the alliance parties. Not much has been done for gender equality in FCFD of the CPP. Hence, we have to score Mr. Cummings C+ and Senator Kangar-Lawrence B.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mr. Daniel T. Bestman is a partisan of the All Liberian Party and an ideological pen revolutionary of the CPP. He could be reached at dtbestman@gmail.com or +231776811809/+231880618248.