Liberia’s Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor and standard bearer of the former ruling National Patriotic Party (NPP) has been told her tenure as the standard bearer of the party has ended.
Making the disclosure yesterday, the Chairman of the National Patriotic Party, Maryland County Senator James Biney said his statement is in keeping with the party’s constitution.
Senator Biney disclosed that on December 2, 2022, Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor’s tenure as Standard Bearer of the NPP constitutionally ended in line with articles 3.2 and 9.1 of the NPP’s Constitution.
3.2 of the NPP’s constitution states: “There shall be a national convention held once every six years or during the year of general and presidential elections, amongst other things, to nominate and endorse candidates for presidential and legislative positions as a result of primaries held in the political subdivisions; 9.1, no officer or official of the Party can succeed himself or herself more than once.”
For months the NPP has been in a state of confusion with one group supporting Madam Taylor while the other group supporting Senator Biney.
In 2016 the NPP through Madam Taylor formed a coalition with the Congress for Democratic Change of then-Senator George M. Weah.
It was through that collaboration that madam Taylor become the running mate to President George Weah. With this new development, it is not known if madam Taylor will still run on the ticket of the NPP to maintain her seat as the vice standard bearer in the 2023 elections.
In the same statement, it said;” except amended, the constitution of the NPP prohibits Madam Taylor and all elected officials from seeking a third term. Madam Taylor was first elected Standard Bearer of the Party in 2010 and was reelected in 2016 for a six-year term.
“In line with the National Elections Commission published electoral guidelines and the NPP Constitution section 11. 1(nomination of legislative candidates) and 11.2 (nomination for presidential candidates) the National Executive Committee in its Thursday, December 29, 2022 siting mandates the Secretary-General to give notice inviting applications from members for nomination as the Party legislative and presidential candidates,” it further said. Below is the full text of NPP’s press release
On August 4, 2022, the Supreme Court handed down two separate rulings in the NPP matter before it; in the first case, “Jewel Howard Taylor, Standard Bearer vs James P. Biney, National Chairman et al” the Supreme Court sustained the Civil Law Court ruling which held that “having perused the records of the case and the contentions of the parties, the court holds that (Standard Bearer), Jewel Howard Taylor an ex-officio member of the NPP National Executive Committee has no authority to convene the meeting and or issue formal communications in the name of the Party.
The Court further says, all actions taken by the Standard Bearer to convene meetings, to preside over meetings, conventions, and administer the affairs of the Party administratively were illegal and unconstitutional, and hence, reversible and unenforceable, and accordingly, the Standard Bearer herein are all, jointly and severally barred, prevented, prohibited and restrained from attempting to usurp, interfere with, obstruct, impede, and assume any of the functions and operations of the National Executive Committee.”
In the said case, the Supreme Court also upheld the 2004 Constitution produced by Biney’s leadership and its amendments which were adopted in Tubmanburg, Bomi County, in 2016. The Court furthered that the alleged 2016 revised Constitution relied on by Madam Jewel Howard Taylor, Standard Bearer of the NPP, be simultaneously declared illegal, null and void ab-initio; that the National Chairman, the National Secretary General, and other ranking members of the National Executive Committee, are the proper and lawful authority to convene meetings of the Party and issue out publication in the name of the Party.
In its second ruling, the Supreme Court overturned the decision of the National Elections Commission and recognized James P. Biney, as the legitimate Chairman of the Party and all other officers in his leadership, and requested him, Chairman Biney to take the Party to its 7th Biennial Convention in line with the Party Constitution, and mandated the Civil Law Court to resume jurisdiction over the matter.
On the strength of these two rulings, the Civil Law Court mandated Biney’s leadership to take the Party to its 7th Biennial Convention before October 15, 2022.
On October 7, 2022, Biney’s leadership, having notified the Elections Commission, convened the NPP 7th Biennial Convention at the Paynesville Town Hall. In line with article 17.3 of the NPP Constitution which states “all decisions on issues arising at conventions and meetings, shall be made by secret ballots, one man, one vote. The delegates duly accredited at the Convention elected the below officers:
- Senator James P. Biney -Chairman
- Atty. George S. Mulbah -Vice Chairperson for Administration
- Mr. Daoda Metzger -Vice Chairman for Operations
- Atty. J. Allison Barco – Vice Chairman Governmental Affairs
- Dopoe Menkazon -Vice Chairman Special Project
- Ms. Charlyne A. Taylor -Vice Chairperson on Inter-Party Affairs
- Mr, John A. Siaway -Vice/ Planning, Policy and Research
- Mr. Orlando Yaoh -Vice Chair/Finance and Investment
- Ms. Sylvia Zoe Taylor – Vice Chair/Social Services
- Mr. Thomas G. Goba – National Treasurer
While the delegates were in the hall conducting the business of the convention, Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor, who never entered the convention hall, assembled a disorderly crowd, in gross disregard to the ruling of the Supreme Court, in the yard of the Paynesville Town Hall, she inducted herself as Standard Bearer for a third term and pronounced Cllr. Stanley Kparkillen as Party Chairman and Mr. Morris G. Paye as Secretary General.
In response to her action, Chief Cyril Allen, Chairman Emeritus of the Party issued a public condemnation of Madam Taylor’s action and termed it unconstitutional. Additionally, the Governing Council of the Coalition for Democratic Change released a statement affirming Biney’s leadership and rejecting Kparkillen as Chairman of the NPP.
Mrs. Taylor, subsequently announced to the public that she stood by her actions and called on the Coalition to recognize that the NPP is an independent Party. She has since run parallel party structures in Monrovia and in counties where her actions are rejected by the NPP partisans.
Be that as it may, on the 2nd Saturday of December 2022, Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor’s tenure as Standard Bearer of the NPP constitutionally ended in line with articles 3.2 and 9.1 of the NPP’s Constitution. 3.2, there shall be a national convention held once every six years or during the year of general and presidential elections, amongst other things, to nominate and endorse candidates for presidential and legislative positions as a result of primaries held in the political subdivisions; 9.1, no officer or official of the Party can succeed himself or herself more than once.
Except amended, the constitution of the NPP prohibits Madam Taylor and all elected officials from seeking a third term. Madam Taylor was first elected Standard Bearer of the Party in 2010 and was reelected in 2016 for a six-year term.
In line with the National Elections Commission published electoral guidelines and the NPP Constitution section 11. 1(nomination of legislative candidates) and 11.2 (nomination for presidential candidates) the National Executive Committee in its Thursday, December 29, 2022 siting mandates the Secretary-General to give notice inviting applications from members for nomination as the Party legislative and presidential candidates.
In a related development, as the Coalition Document comes to an end, the constituent Parties have constituted a Framework Document Committee to draw up a new framework that will be acceptable and beneficial to the Parties. When progress is made on this front, we will inform you appropriately.
Finally, the National Executive Committee of the Party calls on all its partisans across the country to remain law-abiding and corporate with the National Executive Committee.
Thanks very kindly.
Issued by the National Executive Committee of the National Patriotic Party.
Signed: Andrew Peters
Secretary General & Chief Office Administrator-NPP
Approved: James P. Biney
National Chairman & Presiding Officer of the NPP-NEC”
