Brumskine May Quit LUP

The political euphoria that once characterized Liberia Unification Party’s (LUP) stalwart, Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, seems to be fraught with twists and turns as the presidential aspirant is still meandering through to find an easy outlet by which he can clinch to state power, come 2005 general and presidential elections.

Credible information reaching The FORUM speaks of plans by LUP’s once professed standard-bearer to quit the party. According to a source close to the party, his decision to resign from the party is predicated upon the action by certain executives within LUP to undermine Cllr. Brumskine’s efforts to sail the party to a victory in the pending elections. He indicated that these people continue to serve as a “stumbling block” to the counselor’s political career.

The source told The FORUM that Cllr. Brumskine has taken LUP far above what it used to be but some partisans failed to recognize this, and are bent on destroying him politically. He said Cllr. Brumskine is now regretting for investing huge sum of money in the party of which he has not been credited for, adding, “LUP was nowhere when Cllr. Brumskine came into the party and lifted it up through spending his personal money.”

He said these individuals within the party continue to thwart the efforts of Brumskine by painting him negative at all levels. The source further noted that LUP presidential hopeful has decided to join ranks with another political party in the country, but could not say which party Cllr. Brumskine has at heart to be part of.

The source said pretty soon, the counselor would be announcing his next course of political decision as he leaves LUP.

Another source said, Cllr. Brumskine sometime this year left Liberia for the United States to probably lobby with LUP US-based partisans for support to his candidacy. However, the source said, Cllr. Brumskine could not win the mind of these partisans, something which sounds clear warning that he is no more the choice of the people.

Meanwhile, LUP partisans in Pennsylvania, the USA, are against reaching any agreement with people they described as “backwater politicians” who have attempted to change the course of the party.

In their Resolution, the USA partisans indicated that such a compromise, if it were to occur, would signal weakness in the party structure which would suggest that “LUP’s constitution is ill-relevant and those who have respect for the constitution would be made to run away.”

In the Resolution, signed by William Gant, Jr., Interim Secretary General, and Elizabeth Bemah, Co-Chairman respectively of LUP’s Pennsylvania Branch, they pledged their support and co-operation with the leadership of Isaac Mannah, as National Chairman of the party. They admonished Mr. Mannah and his corps of officers to remain steadfast against “any attempt by anyone to make mockery of the party’s constitution.”

They emphatically stated in their Resolution that people who do not accept Mr. Mannah as Chairman of LUP are free to create another party from LUP, saying, “We shall remain vigilant in protecting the constitution, protocol and the vision of the founding fathers of the party.”

LUP, which was founded by a schoolteacher, the late William Gabriel Kpolleh, has been lurked into an internal squabble between Messrs Charles Brumskine and Isaac Mannah. The acrimony between the two groups has dragged the party to the Supreme Court for adjudication to determine its legitimate leadership.

Cllr. Brumskine, a one time stalwart of the National Patriotic Party (NPP), served as a President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate, but was forced to resign his post due to policy differences between him and former President Charles Taylor. He later resigned from the NPP and escaped to the United States of America for safety.

He came back to Liberia in 2002 and joined the Liberia Unification Party with the hope of standing as the party standard-bearer against exiled President Taylor in the elections that would have taken place in October 2003, had the civil war not escalated and forced Taylor out of power.

Brumskine became prominent in the party and decided to create another political offshoot known as “Friends of Brumskine (FOB).” He also decided to take the party headquarters from Randall Street to the corner of Benson and McDonald Streets. This political divide within LUP still stands as the Mannah group remains on Randall Street, while the Brumskine group, mainly Friends of Brumskine, remains at the other side.

When Cllr. Brumskine’s confidant (who refused to be named) was contacted, he said although there were series of problems confronting the party, the issue of Mannah was of less importance; needless to talk about the cause of Cllr. Brumskine’s quit from the party. He however said that Cllr. Brumskine may quit provided that the in-house problem cannot be resolved, failing to show which party the counselor may likely cross over to.