Undermining Boakai’s Peace Agenda?

The chairman of the Unity Party (UP) has taken a direct jab at the Alternative National Congress for demanding an apology for having been wrongfully accused of illegally altering the structure and content of the Collaborating Political Parties framework document.

The ANC’s position comes after lawyers of the CPP, led by former Justice Minister, Cllr. Benedict Sannoh, confirmed their (lawyers’) role in altering the structure and content of the CPP framework document, an accusation leveled against ANC and its leader, Alexander Cummings.

The lawyers, however, did not state whether the document they altered is the same as the one Cummings and ANC have been accused of “illegally modifying” while filing it at the National Elections Commission. In fact, they declined to share their expert opinion when asked by the former chair of the Collaborating Political Parties, Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence. 

But in a Facebook post, UP chairman Amin Modad scoffed at ANC, saying that the party’s zealots are creating imaginary wins with the lawyers' letter despite an internal CPP investigation report that shows that their party is guilty of the crime accused of.

Modad added that it is evident that the process leading to Cummings filing the framework document at NEC was marred by procedural lapses and that the document was altered egregiously under Cummings’ and ANC’s chairmanship of the CPP. 

“The document in question is not the mere note amongst friends or an ordinary manuscript that individuals can arbitrarily dot i’s, Cross the t’s, and change words. We are discussing a legal instrument of national political significance,” he added.

“Nothing in the lawyers’ response exonerates Mr. Cummings. It seems as though ANC zealots will dance at any tune and are willing to create and win imaginary fights,” Modad wrote on Facebook. “Contrary to what some supporters of the ANC are spreading around, there is nothing to apologize to Mr. Cummings about; in fact, if any apologies are in order, it is expected from Cummings.” 

Although Modad's post comes with serious political implication, he told the Daily Observer that he sees nothing wrong with chastising a political leader when he does wrong, but clarified that there is no bad blood between Cummings and Boakai.

“I see no contention. We just have to do what is right to make things right,” the UP chair said in defense of his controversial post on social media. “It is about one taking responsibility for the mistake that was made. It is about the CPP moving forward. There is no bad blood between us.”

The political implication

While Modad might have a point that lawyers did not explicitly exonerate Cummings, they also did not accuse him of any crime. However, Modad’s statement goes against the lawyers’ advice for some form of “collective restraint” (in other words, everyone shut up) to be put in place, while political leaders of the CPP exert efforts to bring the matter to close.

The CPP lawyers had earlier declined a written request by Sen. Karnga Lawrence to probe the issue and provide legal advice on “whether the proposed amendments made by the lawyers were changed without their consent”. They also warned that the unceasing public engagement (scathing allegations, war of words) on the framework document comes with a lot of risks that could damage the political collaboration.

Modad’s latest outburst runs contrary to what his party’s political leader, Joseph N. Boakai promised a few days ago to begin negotiations to unite the CPP, which is broken by internal disagreements.

But to the frustration of many, Modad is treading on a different path, especially when Boakai is yet to reveal a peace agenda – what issue will be deliberated for the sake of peace and what gets jettisoned.

And this might indicate  that Modad has been playing a double standard game: calling for calm and on the other hand, benefitting from the internal crisis since it paints Cummings, who is vying for the CPP standard bearer position, like Boakai, as a criminal. 

It further marks a significant escalation in the already crisis-prone CPP, despite calls from its broad coalition of voters to show that they are men of wisdom in tackling major problems, and not the other way around.

More important, Modad has made matters worse for his Unity Party and its standard bearer, Boakai, who many expect to use his age and sage to salve the sore differences between Cummings and his accuser, Benoi Urey, that have escalated to threaten the survival of the CPP on the one hand; and on the other hand, the internal wrangling within the Liberty Party, whose political leaders and national chairman are fiercely at loggerheads.

This is because Cummings and his team might not take Modad’s criticism lightly, becoming more adamant in their demand for apology if peace will ever reign in the CPP. And as long the accusations persist, the ANC appears ready to wage political war both from within and from without.

And as time would tell, Modad was heavily criticized for stoking the flames of discord rather than rousing for reconciliation. And despite having deleted his previous post, before restoring it, the damage was already done with huge political fallout. 

ANC take Issue 

In response to Modad’s Facebook post, the ANC head of communications and public affairs, Mulbah Yorgbor, did not just express his party's disappointment in the UP chairman for the post, but described it as divisive and unnecessary.

“We had wished that at this point in time friends from the Unity Party and the other three political parties, with whom we are in this collaboration, could see reason and give peace and reconciliation a chance. It is unfortunate, but we will continue to remain civil and peaceful,” Yorgbor said.

CPP crisis in brief

The CPP, for the last two months, has seen its ship nearly capsized by scathing allegations of framework tampering, led by Benoni Urey of the All Liberia Party against Cummings.

And after an investigation, the past CPP chair, Senator Karnga-Lawrence, directly accused Cummings of illegally modifying the CPP framework during his tenure as chair.

“In light of the violations in procedures and content change, it is reasonable enough that Mr. Cummings summons the courage to take ownership of all that has transpired and the crisis thereof,” Senator Karnga-Lawrence said.

But long before the release of the investigation report and the lawyers’ letter, Boakai and Urey, treaded on similar paths — directly accusing Cummings of tampering with their framework document.

And now, Boakai, being aware of how damaged the CPP brand is, offers himself as an “interlocutor” in addressing unresolved issues and other problems in a remark after having received the chairmanship of the CPP for the first time on Friday, October 15.

However, a buoyant Cummings, who has constantly denied the allegation, has always cast the investigation as politically motivated, and bemoaned the investigation’s toll on the CPP — and on him.

And now breathing a collective sigh of relief, Cummings, upon reading the lawyers’ letter, has said that the accusation of tempering has maligned his character and integrity and cannot move on without an apology.

Now he has started gloating – demanding that his colleagues in the CPP openly apologize to him before any attempt at reconciliation.

“I am not just going to say, ok, you did a bad thing a few months ago but let’s move on. That’s not how it works. People get to be accountable for things they do. I am happy to move on with them after I have been vindicated and they acknowledge that I have been vindicated,” he said.

The CPP, made up of four political parties, has a rotating leadership mandate, which the political leader of each member institution chairs for 8 months at a time. The four parties are the Liberty Party, Unity Party, the Alternative National Congress and the All Liberian Party.