Islam Splits Allies

New Democrat (Monrovia)

9 May 2011

A prime factor for the continuing disarray in the National Union for Democratic Progress (NUDP) is religion, Sen. Prince

Johnson’s disaffected vice standard bearer Sen. Abel Massaley told this paper Sunday.

In an exclusive interview, the Cape Mount Senator said Sen. Johnson told him (Massaley) that the American embassy was deeply troubled and had frown on his nomination as Johnson’s running mate because he belongs to the Islamic religion.

“This day, Senator Johnson came to me and said the American people called had him and asked why he nominated a Moslem as his running-mate. I told him, ‘Look, I have always heard that you are insane and unstable and used to shoot people and later ask for their whereabouts. I hope that’s not the kind of thing you’re bringing to this party.”

Mr. Massaley said he approached American embassy officials here, including Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield, to confirm what Mr. Johnson had disclosed to him, “They, more or less, told me that Sen. Johnson’s statement was ‘complete foolishness.’ They told me that President Obama, though not a Muslim himself, comes from a Muslim background. So why would they ask him a thing like that?”

Massaley: “The bottom line is that I knew this man was going to fall by his own weight. As I talk to you, the whole party is dismantled; we are not going anywhere. Everyone is resigning. The man is inconsistent. I told him that a political party is not like the military we used to be in.

In a political party, even your own son can disagree with you. It’s a consensus-building process. It’s not like it’s your personal property. All the key people have withdrawn.”

Meanwhile, all efforts to get Mr. Johnson’s side of the story did not materialize, as his phone was off all the time.

Party chair Emmanuel Lomax and Secretary-General D. Y. Hne have both resigned, contending that they resigned because of interferences in their jobs and the unilateral decisions of Senator Johnson whom they branded a dictator.

The string of resignations in the NUDP now leaves Prince Johnson’s presidential bid in a serious limbo. Critics of the former warlord say he is irrational, insane and has not parted from his guerrilla posture as a rebel commando who sees himself as a dominating force and dictator.

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