LP Stalwart Defends Cummings on CPP Framework Accusation

The National Treasurer of the Liberty Party (LP), Wadei Powell, has come to the defense of the the Alternative National Congress, Alexander Cummings, amid accusation by LP political leader, Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, that Cummings illegally modified the framework that brought the Collaborating Political Parties together. 

“There is zero evidence that anybody did something notorious in any part of the CPP framework document from the beginning to the amended document to the filed document,” she said.

Appearing on the Spoon Talk on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, Madam Powell said: “I am not one of those persons that say, ‘so say one, so say all’. I have a brain and I can analyze and come up with my determination on what’s true and what’s not true. I have done my analysis and it doesn’t match.”  

Senator Lawrence directly accused Mr. Cummings of illegally modifying the CPP framework document that was submitted by him to the National Elections Commission (NEC), during his tenure as chairperson of the CPP.  Meanwhile, Mr. Cummings himself claims he acted honorably.

During the investigative findings launched by the Liberty Party, it was discovered that infractions, procedural transgressions, and fraudulent inclines, transpired “under and during the leadership of Cummings and the ANC without notifying other members of the CPP.

For, Madam Powell it is normal for people to do editing of documents when it is necessary. “Unless you are changing something substantive, the meaning and spirit of something, those are not changes that you can say someone notoriously made,” the LP Treasurer said. 

“I do not see any criminal activity done by anyone and beyond that I don’t see any major change in the document from the time the lawyers submitted to the time it was filed. There was no major change, the context and spirit whatsoever,” Madam Powell continues.

The issue of the CPP framework document alteration was firstly raised by Benoni Urey, the political leader of the All Liberian Party (ALP), but did not say under whose leadership the altering was done. 

“Madam Chair,” Urey wrote, “this letter essentially seeks to inform you that the ALP has reliably learned that certain portions and clauses within the organic framework document of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) have been dubiously, viciously, and purposefully altered allegedly by some nefarious individuals within the hierarchy of the CPP — and replaced by ‘Alien Clauses’ to engender ulterior motives.”

It was after Mr. Urey’s accusation, the CPP chairperson, Senator Lawrence set up a committee to investigate the allegation.

According to Madam Powell, the report presented by Senator Lawrence did not have any evidence to prove that Cummings altered the framework document.

“According to the report that came out from the very investigative committee there was no evidence presented of any notorious activity,” she said. 

In response to this allegation, the ANC denied reworking the CPP framework document and describing it as ‘False and Misleading.'

“I have recognized that I am up against a system that is deeply rooted in our society; a system that is intent on keeping things as they are because it benefits a few of them,” Cummings said. “A system that has continuously said, I am not one of them -- that I am a stranger, that I am unknown, that I am cutting the line and not waiting for my time; that I should give a chance to Amb. Boakai, go as his Vice and take over after his first term.”

Madam Powell, who is also serving as a member on the CPP National Executive Committee, applauds Mr. Alexander Cummings for exhibiting a character of leadership. 

“If I was in Cummings’ shoes,” she remarked, “and my character is being dragged through the mud as his character is being dragged through, I can tell you I wouldn’t have been as gracious as he was."

According to Madam Powell, the LP has called on Senator Lawrence to retract her statement made against Cummings.