Thirty Political Parties To Contest Elections 2005

Thirty Political Parties To Contest Elections 2005

By Josephus Moses Gray
Jmoses1970@theperspective.org

The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
July 15, 2005

The Chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Cllr. Frances Johnson-Morris, has disclosed that a total of thirty registered political parties have been qualified to contest this year’s General and Presidential elections.

Speaking recently at ceremonies marking the certification of the last six registered political parties, Commissioner Morris said that the NEC had closed the process of granting full-fledged party status to political parties, and that the thirty are the parties to contest the elections in October.

But three proposed political parties that were affected in the process have threatened to institute lawsuit against the Commission for its failure to grant them full-fledged registered political party status. The Citizens Integration Party and Credence Unity Party are among the three proposed political parties that have threatened lawsuit.

The political parties have questioned the credibility of the National Elections Commission (NEC) to conduct free, fair and transparent elections. They believe that the NEC will hand-pick the president instead of the Liberian people democratically electing someone to lead.

Representatives of the affected parties, Rev. Jasper S. Ndaborlor, Dr. Miller and Cllr. Conah, said the action by the NEC to deny them full-fledged party status is a flagrant violation of their right and that such act undermines democracy.

Denying the claims, NEC Chairperson Cllr. Frances Johnson-Morris told this Paper, in an interview, that the three parties failed to adhere to the registration timetable, and as such, they have been denied.

However, the affected parties have vowed to take advantage of the legal system by instituting law suit against NEC.

According to the affected parties, their membership listings were submitted on April 29, and a US$350.00 application fee was paid to NEC. They argued that the NEC has no deadline for submission of application.

Dr. Miller alleged that some registered political parties including the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) broke all the rules governing the process but the party was pardoned and allowed to register.

The thirty registered parties that are eligible to contest the ensuing elections are the United People’s Party (UPP), True Whig Party (TWP), Liberian People’s Party (LPP), National Patriotic Party (NPP), Reformation Alliance Party (RAP), People Democratic Party of Liberia (PDPL), the Liberia Action Party(LAP), National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), Unity Party (UP), Liberia National Union (LINU), Liberia Unification Party( LUP) and Free Democratic Party (FDP).

Others are the All Liberian Coalition Party (ALCOP), Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Labor Party of Liberia (LPL), Liberia Equal Rights Party (LERP), National Reformation Party (NRP), New Deal Movement, Liberty Party (LP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP).

The Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), Liberia Destiny Party (LDP), Freedom Alliance Party (FAPL) and Independent Democratic Party are also among parties to contest the elections.