New Democrat (Monrovia)
17 June 2009
As the much-hailed Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) winds-up its activities with reports that it could present many political actors for prosecution due to their war-time roles, one of its last conferences is being held without the presence of the President, her ministers and members of the Legislature.
TRC chairman, Jerome Verdier, confirmed Tuesday that invitations were extended the President, members of the National Legislature including the Speaker and the Senate Pro-tempt, but said they give no reason why they failed to attend or designate a proxy.
Contacted Monday as to why she did not attend the current conference that has brought together many international actors, the President's office said the invitation arrived too late and that it coincided with another meeting of the Methodist Church on climate change that the President had to attend.
Presidential Press Secretary Cyrus Badio, contacted for more details Tuesday, said the TRC also seemed disorganized, since at the time of the invitation, it had no idea who its guest speaker would be. He said the TRC was toying with a speaker from Nigeria and former Ghanaian President JJ Rawlings. Moreover, he said invitations to the President are given at lest one month in advance due to many activities and schedules. The TRC invitation arrived at the Executive Mansion on June 1 2009.
He said a contributing factor for the President not attending is that the TRC conference seemed in disarray, and that she could not send a proxy because the process is too important to demand her presence. He also regretted that the letter inviting the resident came from the TRC's Executive Secretary, Mr. Nathaniel Kwabo, instead of its chairman, Mr. Verdier.
Asked why not a single minister of Government or legislator attended the reconciliation coherence, Mr. Badio said he could not speak for them.
At the National Legislature where an invitations were equally extended to members and its leadership, Senate Pro-tempt, Cletus Wotorson, according to his spokesperson could not also honor the invitation because according to him, it arrived two days to the program, meaning last Saturday. The program began on Monday.
Senator Wotorson's spokesman, Herbert Johnson said the Pro-tempt was also busy handling the funeral ceremony of his childhood friend, but questions whether the TRC held any consultation leading to the conference.
At the House of Representative, Speaker Alex Tyler could not be reached for comment because according to the House's spokesperson, Isaac Reed, Speaker Tyler was at the 2009/2010 budget hearing.
Also absence from the opening of the TRC Reconciliation Conference Monday were two Commissioners, Vice Chair Dede Dolopei and Commissioner Pearl Brown-Bull, Both Commissioners were two of three Commissioners who dissented on the TRC's first preliminary report recommending prosecution for various warlords.
The TRC's week long National Reconciliation Conference is expected to afford Liberians a final opportunity in the current TRC process to impact the TRC's peace building initiatives, discuss the issues that led the nation to conflict and division and begin the process of reconciliation aimed at bringing closure to Liberia's conflict past.
The deliberations will also complement issues that featured during the TRC Regional County Consultations and the TRC process in general. Delegates from the political subdivision of Liberia, civil society and other stakeholders will make presentations on how cohesiveness and national reconciliation can be attained in Liberia.
The opening ceremony was graced by foreign diplomats, amongst them the International Contact Group on Liberia (ICGL), and Ambassadors of some foreign missions here but some key national players such as the President, Speaker, and Senate Pro-tempt, were absence.
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