The former establishment, Unity Party has informed its partisans and the general public that, conflicting to media reports, the party is in no way been evicted from the Congo Town Headquarters. The party had a cordial relationship with the property owners and has been working out modalities for the smooth transfer of the property after both parties could not reach a resolution on the sudden increase in rental.
According to a press release, at the beginning of the Standard Bearership Amb. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, in 2017, the Unity Party paid off its debt of U$180,000 in full and a further US$60,000 for a year rent and continued the lease agreement as was. At the payment of the said amount, the party initiated a discussion with the McClains about the high rental cost and basically agreed that further discussions would be held about the reduction in cost by 50%.
Upon the assumption of the Chairmanship of the Party by Mr. Amin Modad, the leadership of the party concluded that the rental cost did not match with the current economic conditions and again reengaged the McClains for a reduction. The release added that, both parties had initially agreed in principle to the reduction of rental from U$60,000 annually to U$30,000 and that said rent would be paid on a monthly basis.
Accordingly, the party undertook massive renovation amounting to approximately U$30,000 in recent times. To the dismay of the party, a few months later, the property owners informed the leadership of an increment in rental to U$100,000 annually instead. At this point the UP decided to relocate and discussed appropriately with the McClains. The party stated that, Lawyers for both parties have since initiated discussions on payment plans for the arrears owed. UP expressed dismayed and disappointed that a family that the UP has done favorable business with for years, have decided to politicize the rent issues by disseminating what was once a private matter between the two parties to the public.
The former ruling Unity Party assured partisans, supporters and the public that this issue would be resolved in accordance with the extension given by the Court for the parties to dialogue on the arrears. We would also like to inform the public that renovation works at the party’s newly secured Headquarters, in Monrovia, are 80% complete and is expected to turn over the property in Congo Town to the McClains by the end of November or early December.
The issue of rent payment is not new in the political arena, recently the Liberty Part of rent issue until the arrival of it’s new National Chairman Musa Bility.
