Liberia: Gongloe’s Party Suspends National Chairman

The Liberia People’s Party (LPP) has announced the suspension of its National Chairman, J. Yanqui Zaza for breaching the party’s constitution.

The LPP, which is one of the country’s oldest political institutions, has Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, a human rights activist, on its ticket as its presidential candidate.

Since announcing Gongloe, the party has focused on the rule of law and fighting corruption as key campaign issues.  The party says Zaza is being suspended for deliberate, conscious, and consistent violation of the Party’s 1984 Constitution, and has now been forwarded to the party’s Grievance and Ethics Committee for investigation.

“Consistent with Article X, Section I of the 1984 Constitution of the Party, the National Committee in its first sitting on Saturday, December, 10, seven months after the election of the current officials of the National Executive Committee on May 6, resolved to suspend for time indefinite, its National Chairman, J. Yanqui Zaza, for deliberate, conscious, and consistent violations of the Party’s 1984 Constitution,” a release from the party noted. 

“And therefore forward him to the Grievance and Ethics Committee established by the body in keeping with the Party’s Constitution and the National Election Commission Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.”

Zaza, according to the party’s release, tried to deliberately undermine, impede, and obstruct the sitting of the National Committee by unconstitutionally trying to remove some Chairmen of the County Congresses, spreading false information and maliciously maligning the reputation of members of the National Committee, and acting without an approved and “adopted national annual party’s budget and work-plan of the national committee.” 

According to the party, the sitting that led to Zaza’s suspension took place in the city of Paynesville and had in attendance Chairpersons of the various County Congresses representing the Executive Committees of the Counties and officials of the National Executive Committee, the constitutional membership of the National Committee. 

“The Liberian People’s Party (LPP) admonishes the public to cease transacting any official business of the party with the suspended Chairman until further notice from the National Committee through the National Secretariat of the Party, as the Party will not be held responsible for any act or commit to any contract or agreement made between any institution or individual with the suspended Chairman.”