Unity Party (Liberia)

The Unity Party (UP) is a political party in Liberia that was started in 1984 by Edward B. Kesselly, also its first standard bearer. The Unity Party was founded in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, on 27 July 1985.^[1] The Unity Party participated in the first elections after the 1980 coup, running against President Samuel Doe in October 1985. The party has remained active in Liberian politics since and is the current ruling party following the 2023 Liberian general election.

Unity Party
Abbreviation	UP
Chairperson	Luther Tarpeh
Senate Leader	Joseph Boakai
Founder	Edward Kesselly
Founded	1984
Ideology	Liberal democracy Economic liberalism
Political position	Centre to centre-right
International affiliation	International Democrat Union
Continental affiliation	Democrat Union of Africa
Colours	Green and maroon
Slogan	One Nation, One People, With Liberty And Justice For All
Seats in the Senate	13 / 30
Seats in the House	11 / 73
Pan African Parliament	2 / 5
Website
http://www.theunitypartyliberia.org
Politics of Liberia Political parties Elections

In the elections held on 19 July 1997, the UP presidential candidate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won 9.58% of the vote. The party won seven of 64 seats in the House of Representatives and three of 26 available in the Senate. 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 of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) in a runoff. The party also won three seats in the Senate and 8 in the House of Representatives. The merger of the Liberia Unification Party and the Liberian Action Party into the Unity Party on 1 April 2009 substantially increased its representation in the Legislature.^[2]

The party lost in the runoff of the 2017 Liberian general election to ex-footballer and previous runoff candidate George Weah.^[3] On 13 January 2018, the party expelled^[4] President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from the party for campaigning for and with Weah against her own Vice President, Joseph Boakai, who was campaigning on the party ticket.^[5][6]

In 2023, the party won the 2023 Liberian general election, defeating the incumbent George Weah by less than 21,000 votes—making it the closest runoff in Liberia's electoral history.

Party Leadership

Former Vice President Boakai remains the Standard Bearer of the Party and was the leading opposition contender for the 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, who was elected in September 2020 with over 62% majority after defeating veteran politician Sen. Conmany Wesseh and others. Modad, a former representative to the World Trade Organization, cited his business background as evidence of his suitability for the role.

Electoral history

Presidential elections

Election	Candidate	Votes	%	Votes	%	Result
		First round		Second round
1985	Edward Kesselly	57,273	11.04%	-	-	Lost N
1997	Ellen Johnson Sirleaf	59,557	9.58%	-	-	Lost N
2005		192,326	19.75%	478,526	59.40%	Won Y
2011		530,020	43.93%	607,618	90.71%	Won Y
2017	Joseph Boakai	446,716	28.76%	457,579	38.46%	Lost N
2023		796,961	43.44%	814,481	50.64%	Won Y

House of Representatives elections

Election	Vote	%	Seats	+/–	Position
1985	57,273	11.04%	2 / 64	New	4th
1997	59,557	9.57%	7 / 120	1	2nd
2005	123,373	12.49%	8 / 64	1	4th
2011	226,291	17.76%	24 / 73	2	1st
2017	220,508	14.32%	20 / 73	4	2nd
2023	237,931	13.09%	11 / 73	9	2nd

Senate elections

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Position
1985	57,273	11.04%	1 / 26	New	4th
1997	59,557	9.57%	3 / 26	2	2nd
2005	222,705	12.93%	4 / 30	1	2nd
2011	164,851	12.85%	10 / 30	1	1st
2014	47,123	10.33%	8 / 30	2	1st
2020	354,898 (As part of CPP)	40.27%	6 / 30	2	1st
2023	218,138	12.04%	3 / 30	3	2nd