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All Liberian Party

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Not to be confused with All Liberia Coalition Party.

The All Liberian Party (ALP) is a political party in Liberia.

History

[edit]

The ALP was certified by the National Elections Commission on August 7, 2015.[1] Benoni Urey served as the first standard bearer of the party. Urey is a businessman who previously served as President Charles Taylor's head of Bureau of Maritime Affairs. At the time of the party's founding, he served as chair of LoneStar Communications Corporation, one of Liberia’s largest cell phone companies.[2] In June 2016, Emmanuel Lomax, the first chairman of the ALP, resigned from the party.[3] In November 2016, Bomi County Senator Sando D. Johnson, a founding member of the National Patriotic Party, joined the ALP.[4]

In August 2016, the ALP along with 11 other opposition political parties, signed a communique in Ganta to work together against the ruling Unity Party (UP) in the 2017 general election.[5] Urey contested the 2017 presidential election for the ALP, with Alexander Nyonkon Duopu serving as his running mate. The ALP ticket received 24,246 votes, 1.6% of the total.[6] Following the first round of the election, the ALP submitted a complaint, alleging irregularity. The Liberty Party (LP) submitted a complaint of its own. The UP joined in the complaint. The complaint received support from the ALP and the Alternative National Congress (ANC). All complaints were ruled against due to lack of evidence.[7] Duopu broke ranks with the rest of the ALP, supporting Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) nominee George Weah's candidacy. Duopu disliked Urey's change of position on Joseph Boakai and the UP, and he wanted to align himself with Nimba County Senator Prince Johnson's position.[8]

In the 2017 House of Representatives elections, the ALP ran 61 candidates.[7] Three were successful: Albert B. Hills Jr. (Bong-1), Joseph P. Kolleh (Bong-7), and Alexander Poure (River Gee-1).[9]

As early as 2018, the ALP got involved in founding a political party alliance known as the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP). The other constituent parties were the UP, the ANC, and the LP. The leaders of the four parties signed a memorandum of understanding on February 21, 2019, establishing formal collaboration between the organizations. It established Urey as the alliance's first chairman.[10] A framework document for the alliance was signed by the four parties in May 2020. ANC leader Alexander B. Cummings was elected chairman following the signing of the framework. The goal of the CPP, as outlined in the framework, was to present a single candidate to for all elections between and including the 2023 general election.[11] On August 14, 2020, the CPP was certified by the NEC.[12] In the 2020 Senate election, the ruling CDC had ten losing candidates, with the CPP gaining six seats, the most of any party. Dagbayonoh Kiah Nyanfore II of ModernGhana claims infighting among the constituent parties cost the CPP Senate seats.[13] Senator Sando Johnson attempted re-election with the CPP, but was defeated.[14]

In September 2021, Urey accused Cummings of tampering with the framework document ahead of the CPP primaries. Cummings denied the allegation. UP leader Boakai joined in the accusation, along with CPP chairwoman Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence. Urey alleged that the three leaders, besides Cummings, were never given the original framework document. He alleged they were given a photocopy of the framework document, not the original, and that the signature page was later affixed to the original.[15] On December 23, 2021, the ALP Executive Committee held a meeting where they deliberated on the issue of leaving the CPP. The committee voted to withdraw from the alliance. The ALP also noted it would seek legal action in regard to the alleged tampering of the CPP framework document.[16] On February 16, 2022, Boakai announced the withdrawal of the UP from the CPP.[17] The legal case brought against Cummings by the ALP and UP was later dropped by state prosecutors due to lack of evidence.[18]

In December 2022, Urey was re-elected as standard bearer of the ALP.[19] The ALP did not contest the presidency in the 2023 general election.[20] Ahead of the election, the party endorsed the UP candidate Boakai. Urey remained an ally of Boakai following the collapse of the CPP until Boakai announced his running mate to be the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction's Jeremiah Koung. Following a meeting between Urey and Boakai where Boakai could not be convinced to change his running mate, Urey began to support the CDC's George Weah.[21] The ALP's National Executive Committee voted against a resolution to endorse Weah on September 22, 2023. Regardless, on October 29, ahead of the runoff election, Urey hosted an ALP event endorsing Weah's re-election. ALP Chairman Theodore Momo condemned Urey's endorsement, as it did not reflect the opinion of the majority of the ALP's leadership.[22]

In the 2023 legislative elections, the ALP contested the Senate and the House. Mohammed A. Nasser unsuccessfully contested the Senate in Bong County.[23] Of the three representatives from the 2017 election, two were not re-elected, and Rep. Poure was re-elected under the CDC banner. Sumo K. Mulbah was elected in Montserrado's 3rd House district.[24]

References

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  1. ^ "NEC Certificates Another Political Party" (PDF). National Elections Commission. 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  2. ^ Butty, James (August 14, 2015). "Another Candidate Enters Liberia's 2017 Presidential Race". Voice of America. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  3. ^ Genoway, Edwin G. Jr. (June 12, 2016). "ALP Political Leader Urey, Founding Chairman Lomax Fall Apart". FrontPage Africa. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  4. ^ Carter, J. Burgess (December 1, 2016). "Liberia: Senator Johnson Moves to ALP". Liberian Observer. AllAfrica. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  5. ^ Karmo, Henry (September 17, 2016). "Liberia Opposition Resolve to Collaborate for 2017 Election Victory". FrontPage Africa. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  6. ^ "National Tally Center Tally Report for the Presidential and Legislative Elections on 10 October 2017" (PDF). National Elections Commission. October 19, 2017. p. 4. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "National Elections in Liberia, Fall 2017" (PDF). Carter Center. 2017. pp. 47, 76–79. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  8. ^ Lomax, Selma (October 31, 2017). "'Shocked': Benoni Urey Running Mate Duopu Abandons ALP For CDC". FrontPage Africa. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  9. ^ "2017 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTION RESULTS". National Elections Commission. 2017. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  10. ^ "Four Opposition Party Leaders Sign Collaboration Pact; Vows To Unseat CDC In 2023". The Independent Probe Newspaper. February 23, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  11. ^ "Cummings heads CPP". The New Dawn Liberia. May 19, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  12. ^ "NEC Accredits CPP to Operate as an Alliance". National Elections Commission. 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  13. ^ Nyanfore, Dagbayonoh Kiah II (March 1, 2023). "Liberia: Analysis of the results of the special senatorial election and referendum". ModernGhana. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  14. ^ "2020 SENATORIAL ELECTION RESULTS". National Elections Commission. 2020. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  15. ^ Menjor, David S. (September 13, 2021). "Cummings Accused of Altering CPP Framework". Liberian Observer. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  16. ^ "ALP pulls out of CPP". The New Dawn Liberia. January 3, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  17. ^ Dodoo, Lennart (February 16, 2022). "Liberia: Unity Party Announces Withdrawal from the CPP; Says It's Forming another Partnership". FrontPage Africa. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  18. ^ Browne, Jonathan (August 23, 2022). "Liberia: CPP Unveils New Framework Document". The New Dawn Liberia. AllAfrica. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  19. ^ "UP Political Leader Congratulates ALP Standard Bearer, Benoni Urey On His Reelection". Global News Network Liberia. January 1, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  20. ^ "2023 Presidential Elections Results". National Elections Commission. 2023. Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  21. ^ Dodoo, Lennart; Genoway, Edwin G. Jr. (October 30, 2023). "Liberia: Former Ally of Opposition Leader Joseph Boakai, Benoni Urey Endorses Pres. Weah's Re-election Bid ahead of Nov. 14 Run-Off". FrontPage Africa. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  22. ^ Harmon, William Q. (October 30, 2023). "Liberia: All Liberian Party Splits". Liberian Observer. AllAfrica. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  23. ^ "2023 SENATORIAL ELECTION RESULTS". National Elections Commission. 2023. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  24. ^ "ELECTIONS 2023: In House Of Representatives, CDC Captures 25 Of 73 Seats, While UP 10, And Independent Candidates 18 Seats". Global News Network Liberia. October 22, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
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