Liberia's Ruling Party Expels President Johnson Sirleaf

Liberia's ruling Unity party just expelled outgoing president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, after accusing her of meddling in last year’s presidential elections in which its candidate suffered a bruising defeat.

Four other party officials were also expelled.

The party said in a statement distributed on Sunday that Johnson Sirleaf and the other members had violated rules, including a requirement to support all Unity party candidates in elections.

President Sirleaf, a Nobel peace prize laureate who has been in power for 12 years, denies the party’s allegations, one of which includes, that she held inappropriate private meetings with election magistrates before the October 10 vote.