The National Legislature says it will not deliberate on the TRC "final unedited report" because it is pressed for time and because the report is incomplete in its present form. The Legislature's decision was contained in a "Joint Resolution of the National Legislature" issued yesterday - seizing itself of the commission's unedited report.

The resolution says the "final unedited report" will be put on the table for further action after members of both Houses return from the pending annual legislative recess. The recess period, the joint resolution said, will be used by the legislators to consult with their individual constituencies for appropriate advice and action.

It did not say when exactly that will be; neither did it say whether the report will be the Legislature's priority upon return to legislative session given its importance for the peace process and the level of anxiety it has generated amongst ordinary Liberians, politicians, and the human rights and international communities.

The resolution however said the Legislature was cognizant of the fact that Section 43 of the TRC Act of Liberia mandated the commission to submit to it its findings and recommendation for deliberation but that it was enable to act now because the current session of the 52nd Legislature was "far spent".

Observers, recalling that the TRC report was submitted to the 52nd Legislature more than a month and a half ago on July 1, 2009, wondered how was it that the session became "far spent" without considering the report that should be the priority focus of the nation and its political leaders.

The resolution came short of giving reasons for the time shortage, but it insisted that the lawmakers lacked sufficient time to properly deliberate on the report and make what the resolution called "informed disposition". The resolution then expressed the lawmakers' appreciation of the level of public interaction on the determinations and recommendations contained in the report.

"The National Legislature takes cognizance of the interactive and exciting public discussions and debates of the TRC's Final Report, encourages these public discussion and debates, and shall keep itself informed of these public discussions and debates as one of the ways of ascertaining the Liberian people's opinion and advice on what disposition shall be made on the TRC's Report," the resolution says.

But in what seems an ironic twist to the Legislature's position regarding insufficient time, the resolution noted that the National Legislature could not make a decision on the report because it was "unedited". So, whether the report is being placed on ice because it is incomplete, or because the Legislature is pressed for time, or both, remains the national puzzle, said one political observer who claimed that the joint resolution let more out of the bag than intended.

"Perhaps with some of its members caught in the TRC trap, the Legislature wants a wider national debate to cover its back. It does not want to take the whipping for making any decision that may be unpopular with the Liberian people or the international community," the observer said further.

The 4-count joint resolution, which was signed by the entire House of Representatives, but which bears signatures of no senator, quoted the 52nd National Legislature as directing that all actions on the report be suspended forthwith.

Within the context of the suspension, the resolution has directed, all members of the National Legislature are required "to consult with their constituents during the ensuing Legislative recess on the key issues of the TRC's Report within the context of fostering permanent peace in Liberia and genuine reconciliation of the Liberia people".

It said during the period in which the Legislature seizes itself of the TRC report, no action or conduct (executive, or otherwise), even if provided for by the TRC Act, shall be taken or performed to give effect to or with the intention of giving effect to any content of the TRC's Report.

Analysts say the interdict would mean that the Independent National Human Rights Commission (INCHR), the body charged with the role of monitoring the implementation of the TRC report, is unlikely to take any action in keeping with its mandate. Article XX (2) of the commission's mandate forbid any organ of the Liberian government or the employees thereof from interfering with, impeding, or obstructing the functions or work of the INCHR.

Whether the "any organ" also refers to the National Legislature, which is the architect of the INCHR mandate, observers say, is something that needs clarification as the rule of law unfolds in the new Liberia.

But all things said, they says, the central question will be, "Will the Legislature deliberate on the report even though it is unedited, or will it sent it back to the commission for editing and resubmission? In that case, wouldn't the report's sanctity have been violated, leaving it vulnerable to more attacks and rejection?"