The Liberia Destiny Party ( LDP ) was a political party in Liberia .
16-551: The LDP was founded in January 2004 by Nathaniel Barnes , who served as finance minister 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,
32-544: A head of government (as a high commissioner would be). Some diplomats are representatives to UN councils, such as the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations . UNESCO has permanent delegates heading the diplomatic missions to the organisation, rather than permanent representatives. However, there are also UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors , such as many celebrities who act as UNESCO goodwill ambassadors for
48-600: A B.Sc. degree. In 1979, Barnes graduated with an MBA in Finance and Banking from Pace University in New York City. In September 1999, Barnes was appointed to the position of Minister of Finance , Republic of Liberia. In that capacity, he became the chief architect of Liberia's fiscal program and oversaw and implemented a new national tax code in consultation with the Fiscal Affairs Department of
64-661: A Liberian television comedy series entitled WE ON IT! (2001–2003). The couple have six children. In 2010, Barnes founded consulting firm Aurora Solutions, Inc. Since 2010, he has also served regularly as a lecturer at the Graduate Schools of the University of Liberia and African Methodist Episcopal University. He enjoys abstract painting. In 2020, his artistic creations were published in Left Brain Right Brain: Thoughts and Musings of
80-568: A Servant (ISBN 978-0993571039). Permanent Representative to the United Nations A permanent representative to the United Nations (sometimes called a " UN ambassador ") is the head of a country's diplomatic mission to the United Nations . Of these, the most high-profile UN permanent representatives are those assigned to headquarters in New York City . However, member states also appoint permanent representatives to
96-694: Is married to Dawn Cooper Barnes, a daughter of Henry Nehemiah Cooper, M.D. (1927–1984) and Izetta Cooper, co-founders of the former Cooper Clinic in Monrovia. The two grew up in the same Monrovia community where Barnes' mother was a teacher at Dawn's elementary school and Dawn's father was the Barnes' family doctor. Dawn Barnes has written, directed and produced the films: Cry of the Pepperbird: A Story of Liberia (2000), The Spiritual Nature of African Dance (2001) and Children of Gold (2002). She also produced
112-686: The Free Democratic Party , a constituent party of the National Democratic Coalition , by October 2015. 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. Barnes was born in Monrovia, Liberia, to Roland T. and Eudora N. Barnes. He
128-633: The Free Democratic Party , a constituent party of the National Democratic Coalition , by October 2015. In January 2022, Barnes announced his intention to contest the upcoming 2023 Liberian presidential election as an independent candidate on a platform of "Reconciliation, Positive Change, Self-Reliance, and the Emergence of a New Breed of Liberian Leaders who exhibit the key qualities of Character, Competence and Courage." In May 2009, Dr. Mordechai Rozanski , president of Rider University, conferred on Barnes an honorary Doctorate of Laws degree. Barnes
144-678: The International Monetary Fund . He held this position until mid-2002. In January 2004, Barnes founded a new political party, the Liberia Destiny Party (LDP). Running as the LDP presidential candidate in the 2005 Liberian presidential general election , Barnes placed 12th out of 22 candidates, receiving 1.0% of the vote. He eventually supported Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , who would become the first democratically elected female president of an African nation, during
160-650: The LDP supported the Unity Party (UP) candidate, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf . The party fielded 11 candidates in the 2005 legislative elections, with 3 of them running in Senate races and 8 of them running in House 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
176-471: The United States of America. He served in this capacity until 2010. In December 2010, Barnes expressed interest in contesting the presidency again in the 2011 election . In July 2011, he explained the LDP would not be contesting the presidency. By May 2014, the National Elections Commission filed a petition to decertify the LDP. Instead of challenging his party's decertification, Barnes joined
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#1732800903854192-482: The other UN offices in Geneva , Vienna , and Nairobi . Many countries, including the United States, call their UN permanent representative "UN ambassadors". Although a permanent representative holds the equivalent diplomatic rank of an ambassador (or chief of mission or high commissioner ), they are accredited to an international organisation, and not to a head of state (as a nation's ambassador would be) or to
208-487: 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 candidate Matthew Jaye. Alfred G. Juweh Sr. was elected in Rivercess County's 1st House district and Dallas Advertus V. Gueh
224-602: The subsequent runoff election. From May 2006 to 2008, Barnes was appointed Permanent Representative to the United Nations from the Republic of Liberia. Barnes served as Ambassador from the Republic of Liberia to the Republic of Cuba from 2006 -2008 while also serving as Ambassador to the United Nations. He was instrumental in re-establishing and solidifying diplomatic relations with Cuba. In 2008, President Johnson Sirleaf named Ambassador Milton Nathaniel Barnes as Liberia's new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to
240-585: Was elected to the Rivercess County 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
256-750: Was the second of four children. Barnes spent his formative years in Harper and Monrovia. He graduated from high school at the College of West Africa before spending a term at the University of Liberia . He worked as an intern in Liberia's banking system before eventually going to the United States for college. Barnes attended Rider University (then Rider College) in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, in 1975 where in majored in Finance and graduated in 1978 with
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