The Liberia Destiny Party (LDP) was a political party in

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

History

The LDP was founded in January 2004 by

Nathaniel Barnes Milton Nathaniel Barnes (born 1954) is a Liberian diplomat, politician and member of the Liberian Destiny Party (LDP). In early 2022, he announced his intention to run as an independent candidate in the 2023 Liberian presidential election. Ear ...

, who served as

finance minister A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfoli ...

under President Charles Taylor. It was certified by the National Elections Commission (NEC) on July 4, 2005. In the 2005 election, Barnes served as the party's presidential candidate, with Parleh Dargbeh Harris as his running mate. Barnes received 9,325 votes, 1.0% of the total. In the subsequent run-off election, the LDP supported the Unity Party (UP) candidate,

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ellen Eugenia Johnson Sirleaf (born 29 October 1938) is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa. Sirleaf was born in Monrovia to a Gol ...

. The party fielded 11 candidates in the 2005 legislative elections, with 3 of them running in

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

races and 8 of them running in

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

races. None were elected. In the 2009 River Gee County by-election caused by the death of Senator Isaac N. Johnson, Nathaniel Williams of the LDP was elected over the ruling UP candidate Conmany Wesseh. In December 2010, Barnes expressed interest in contesting the presidency again in the 2011 election. In July 2011, he explained his party would not be contesting the presidency. In the 2011 legislative elections, the LDP fielded 5 Senate candidates and 18 House candidates. Senator Williams was defeated in his attempt at re-election by

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

candidate Matthew Jaye. Alfred G. Juweh Sr. was elected in Rivercess County's 1st House district and Dallas Advertus V. Gueh was elected to the

Rivercess County Rivercess County is a Counties of Liberia, county in the south-central portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that compose the Administrative division, first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has six D ...

Senate seat. By May 2014, the NEC had filed a petition to have 20 political parties, including the LDP, decertified. The LDP was accused of not meeting the standard for submitting statements to the NEC detailing the assets and liabilities of the party and its candidates. It was additionally accused of knowingly submitting false or misleading statements. Instead of challenging his party's decertification, Barnes joined the Free Democratic Party, a constituent party of the National Democratic Coalition, by October 2015.

References

{{Liberian political parties Defunct political parties in Liberia Political parties established in 2004 2004 establishments in Liberia