26 June 2009
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He then ended by stating that that was the Liberia of the 1970s, and that that was the Liberia in which the progressives of the day sought to transform justice just as the TWP progressives of the 1870s struggled to dismantle the stranglehold of the JJ Roberts mulato-merchant regime.
"Therefore, building a conducive security environment for all Liberians is indispensable for the consolidation of our multiparty democracy. In order to achieve this goal, we need to implement our security sector policy and strategy in a manner that involves all Liberians. At the end of the day, all Liberians need to have a sense of physical security and an opportunity for economic security," he said.
He said not only do Liberians need to build a more cohesive society with a stronger sense of identity, but that Liberians also needed to confront themselves and their past in view of the historic and contemporary divisions that led to the violent breakdown of the system of governance and the rupture of the Liberian society.
"Out of such national self-examination, we must fashion a national policy on reconciliation and national unity. Such policy must not be simply a government policy; it must be a national covenant. We need a vision of what kind of Liberia we want to build and what kind of people we want to be. We need to inspire ourselves to pursue this vision," the longtime political activist and reformist said.
He said like President William R. Tolbert did upon assuming political leadership, it would be out of place to place the rebuilding of Liberia solely on economic development and neglect the nation's political restructuring and development.
"Related to rethinking our policies and strategies for economic recovery and economic governance, it is critical that we address, as prudently and expeditiously as we can, the numerous land-related challenges that confront us," he said.
He disclosed that the National Legislature was on the verge of enacting into law the land commission. On fighting corruption, Dr. Sawyer said encouraged the Sirleaf Administration to develop the appropriate institutions, tools and processes, including strengthening the Liberian Anti-Corruption Commission, the judiciary, the media and other relevant institutions.
"Our Legislature needs to act convincingly on the side of the fight against corruption by enacting into law, without further delay, the national code of conduct for public servants. There is also need to remove the growing public perception that there is unevenness, perhaps, even selectivity in the targeting of acts of corruption to be addressed," he said.
He then reminded Liberians that democracy springs from the people and that there was need to broaden the space for meaningful participation of the grassroots and local communities in our decision-making processes.
"It is not good enough for our government to strive to deliver development to people. The people must become co-producers of development with their government, he said, noting that development delivered to the people by the government or by international partners will not be sustainable.
"Our challenge is to strategize and act to empowerment our people so that they would be able to initiate development activities and sustain their outputs and outcomes," he noted further.
Meanwhile, the GRC chairman has called for the establishment, within the executive branch of government, of an office of legislative affairs. He said the office could be tasked with the responsibility of coordinating the executive's agenda with the Legislature as well as providing relevant information and tracking and monitoring legislative activities.
Such office, he said, would assist in reducing the logjam and occasional confusion that sometimes attend legislative executive transactions. He gave no details.
Finally, he told the progressives that in the days following the launch of the GBMDF they were under obligation to commit themselves to transcending narrow partisanship even as they build effective parties.
"Let us extend our hands in reconciliation to others even as we seek to strengthen our internal solidarity. Let us seek pathways to cooperation with others in national development even as we craft party policies and manifestos.
"Let us strive to mold a new Liberian who is tempered by the pains and anguish of war yet motivated by the opportunity to build anew and inspired by the prospects of what Liberia can become.
"Let this foundation, the Gabriel Baccus Matthews Foundation be one of the instruments for the molding of this new Liberia. We could offer no greater memorial to Gabriel Baccus Matthews or to ourselves," he said.
Others who made remarks during the solemnity were former chief justice and chairman of the Progressive People's Party, Chea Cheapoo, and former PAL executive Oscar J. Quiah.
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