The Unity Party (UP) is a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It ...

that was started in 1984 by Edward B. Kesselly, also its first standard bearer. Officially founded at

Buchanan Buchanan may refer to: People * Buchanan (surname) Places Africa * Buchanan, Liberia, a large coastal town Antarctica * Buchanan Point, Laurie Island Australia * Buchanan, New South Wales * Buchanan, Northern Territory, a locality * Buchanan ...

Grand Bassa County Grand Bassa is a county in the west-central portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has eight districts. Buchanan serves as the capital with the ...

, the party was established on 27 July 1985. The Unity Party participated in the first elections after the 1980 coup, running against President

Samuel Doe Samuel Kanyon Doe (6 May 1951 – 9 September 1990) was a Liberian politician who served as the 21st president of Liberia from 1980 to 1990. Doe ruled Liberia as Chairman of the People's Redemption Council (PRC) from 1980 to 1984 and then as ...

in October 1985. The party has remained active in Liberian politics since and was, until 2017, the ruling party. In the

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

held on 19 July 1997, the UP presidential candidate

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (born Ellen Eugenia Johnson, 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 Monr ...

won 9.58% of the vote. The party won 7 of 64 seats in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

and 3 of 26 in the

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 e ...

. While international observers deemed the polls administratively free and transparent, they noted that it had taken place in an atmosphere of intimidation because most voters believed that former rebel leader and National Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate Charles Taylor would return to war if defeated. Unity Party candidate Sirleaf won the 2005 presidential elections, defeating

George Weah George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (; born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional footballer who is the incumbent president of Liberia, in office since 2018. Prior to his election to the presidency, Weah served as ...

of the

Congress for Democratic Change Congress for Democratic Change (abbreviated CDC) is a Liberian political party formed by supporters of George Weah's 2005 presidential campaign. History In the 11 October 2005 elections, Weah placed first in the presidential poll, winning 28.3% ...

(CDC) in a run-off. The party also won 3 seats in the

and 8 in the

. The merger of the

Liberia Unification Party The Liberia Unification Party was a political party in Liberia. The party fielded candidates in the 11 October 2005 elections as part of the four-party Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia (COTOL). In the 19 July 1997 legislative elections, ...

and the

Liberian Action Party The Liberian Action Party was a political party in Liberia. In the country's 1985 elections, LAP candidate Jackson Doe was the leading challenger to incumbent Head of State Samuel Doe. Official results showed that Samuel received a narrow majorit ...

into the Unity Party on 1 April 2009 substantially increased its representation in the Legislature. The party lost in the run-off of the 2017 presidential and representatives elections to ex-footballer,

. On 13 January 2018 the party expelled President

from the party for campaigning for and with Weah against her own Vice President,

Joseph Boakai Joseph Nyumah Boakai (born 30 November 1944) is a Liberian politician who served as the 29th vice president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018, serving under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Previously, he served as Minister of Agriculture from 1983 t ...

, who was campaigning on the party ticket.

Party Leadership

Former Vice President Boakai remains the Standard Bearer of the Party and the leading opposition contender for the upcoming 2023 Presidential elections. Hon. Boakai was instrumental in the formation of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) that brought together the four largest opposition political parties, the All Liberian Party (ALP), the Alternative National Congress (ANC), the Liberty Party (LP), and the Unity Party (UP) to form an opposition bloc against Pres. Weah's Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). The Party is constitutionally led by its chairman, Amin Modad, elected in September 2020 with over 62% majority after defeating veteran politician Sen. Conmany Wesseh and others. Elected along with other core executives, Amin Modad brings in the credibility and a pro-business experience that is much needed to revive the Party and positively influence the national political discourse. He has always been a trailblazer; with over 20 years of public and private sectors experience, Amin Modad is one of Liberia’s few trade development experts and postwar entrepreneurial success stories. He has served as Liberia’s first representative to the World Trade Organization, headed the multi-donor funded Enhanced Integrated Framework Program in Liberia, and served as Sr. Policy Advisor to the government of Liberia on trade and investment. He has played a key role in Liberia’s post-conflict recovery especially with regards establishing key economic policies and Liberia’s integration into the multilateral trading system.

Electoral history

Presidential elections

House of Representatives elections

Senate elections

References

https://thenewdawnliberia.com/new-faces-in-up/

External links

Weah cries foul in Liberia's presidential play-off
Sam Knight and agencies, ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, wh ...

'' Online, November 10, 2005 {{Liberian political parties __FORCETOC__ Political parties in Liberia Political parties established in 1984 Buchanan, Liberia