SAN FRANCISCO, January 14, (THEWILL) –
Liberia’s ruling Unity Party has expelled the country’s outgoing president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from the party for allegedly failing to support its candidate to succeed her.
Ms Sirleaf, who is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and Africa’s first elected woman President is accused of encouraging people to vote against her Vice-President, Joseph Boakai.
A spokesman for the governing Unity Party said Ms Sirleaf had violated the party’s constitution as she was seen campaigning with former footballer George Weah who was running under the Coalition for Democratic Change banner and won the presidential elections in December, defeating Mr Boakai
Sirleaf was also accused by party leaders of meddling in the presidential elections in which its candidate suffered a bruising defeat alleging that she held inappropriate private meetings with election magistrates before the Oct. 10 vote.
Four other party officials were also expelled by the party in a statement released on Sunday by the party’s Assistant Secretary General for Public Outreach, Mohammed Ali, on Sunday.
“The behaviour of the expelled persons constitutes sabotage and undermined the existence of the party,” Ali said, announcing the decision, which was taken by the party’s executive committee late on Saturday.
A senior official in Johnson Sirleaf’s office declined to comment on the decision while the president and other officials were not immediately available on Sunday.
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