The CPP in its October 6, 2020 meeting agreed that no Executive and prominent member of the constituent political parties would make any public comment(s) in the media (Social, Print, and Electronic) on the report until the lawyers can review the report.
In violation of this agreement, prominent members and executive committee members of some parties of the CPP have made verbal and written comments in the social and traditional media in clear violation of what was agreed at the NAC meeting yesterday.
As a leader of the CPP, I have tried to use internal processes to solve issues.
And sometimes that can seem slow but it is a proven way to reach resolutions. Unfortunately, when others fail to work the process internally and instead choose to use the media to paint an untrue picture, then I have to make clarifications. Members of the press, on May 19, 2020, Chairpersons and Political Leaders of four political parties; the All Liberian Party (ALP), the Alternative National Congress (ANC), the Liberty Party (LP), and the Unity Party (UP), signed Framework Agreement (FA) thereby establishing the Collaborating Political Parties, CPP.
The FA signed on May 19, 2020, via zoom went through all of the rigorous legal and fundamental procedures ranging from validation to review and ratification by the respective Executive Committees of the four parties.
On the same day of signing the FA, Mr. Alexander B. Cummings and the ANC, in line with the CPP rotational leadership proportional tenure took over the leadership of the CPP.
Five copies of the FA were signed and given to the leadership of the CPP to be notarized and each party served a copy. We like to note for the record that up till today’s date, no party has received a copy of the document signed on May 19, 2020.
On August 18, 2021, the ALP through its Political Leader, Hon. Benoni W. Urey, filed a complaint with the leadership of the CPP that the FA was tampered with before submission to the NEC. Fellow Liberians, on October 6, 2021, the National Advisory Council (NAC) of the CPP received from the committee established to investigate the claims made by Hon. Urey a 28-page report.
Following a detailed presentation of the report which thoroughly analyzed three separate framework documents (FA signed on May 19, 2020; Amended FA dated April 25, 2020, named Lawyers’ version and the FA filed with the NEC), the CPP hereby presents to her partisans, supporters and the Liberian people findings from the report. Let me on behalf of the leadership of the CPP extend our profound gratitude to the 5-member committee for the professional and impartial investigation they conducted and the balanced and credible report they have produced.
We also want to extend our thanks and appreciation to Mr. Benoni W. Urey for flagging and bringing to the attention of the CPP leadership and the Liberian people at large, the altering of the CPP’s Framework Document, both in the written and verbal notification.
We should also state for the records, however, that all the infractions, procedural transgressions and fraudulent inclines as captured in the investigative findings transpired under and during the leadership of Mr. Cummings and the ANC who had the mandate and obligation to ensure that the procedures and other legal proceedings thereto leading to the filing of the CPP’s Framework Document with the NEC were done.
The findings from the investigative report were put under two categories:
- Procedures leading to the submission of the FA to the NEC, and,
- Content change in the various FAs. The investigation finds that there were significant procedural lapses leading to the submission of the Framework Document with the NEC under the leadership of Mr. Cummings. Below are the findings on the procedural lapses: The proper procedures for amending or changing of provisions within the Original FD as prescribed in Article 12 was not followed.
On June 17, 2020, the lawyers presented their recommendations containing 10 issues (See Appendix …) to the National Advisory Council at the Headquarters of the LP The Amended Framework Collaborative Document as named by the lawyers and dated April 25, 2020, was posted in the National Advisory Council WhatsApp Chatroom on June 18, 2020, for review and ratification by the Executive Committees of the constituent political parties.
There is no documentation to prove that the parties reviewed and ratified the lawyers’ version of the FD. After the Amended Copy and the recommendations shall have been accepted and approved by the Executive Committees of the four constituent political parties of the CPP; five copies should have been printed in color and submitted to the parties for signing and marked with the new date of signing. After the signing, the 5 original copies of the amended version should have been notarized and each party serves a copy.
The 5th copy should have been the one submitted to the NEC requesting Certification of the CPP. This procedure was not followed.
