Liberty Party leader Charles Brumskine, threatening legal action against the government for alleged constitutional violations, says President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has instituted a patronage system to win the next elections.
In an interview with the Voice of America (VOA) while in Washington, , Mr. Brumskine, once Senate Pro-Tempore in the Charles Taylor regime, said the President has refused to have some of her nominees face the Senate for confirmation as is required by law.
VOA: Brumskine said President Sirleaf has violated the constitution by failing to send her nominees for local offices for confirmation by the Liberian Senate.
"We need to change the law because presidential appointees under our constitution should not have the right to tax the people. What has President Sirleaf done? Instead of exercising leadership in changing the law to conform with the constitution, she now appoints her friends and members of her party as city mayors," Brumskine said.
He said after nearly five years in power, the Sirleaf government has failed to have chieftaincy election throughout the country.
"If you do not elect the, chiefs you say to the people that the whole idea of democracy is simply about the presidency," he said.
He accused President Sirleaf of using the patronage system to pave the way for her re-election in 2011.
Brumskine said his Liberty Party recently warned the president that her actions are in violation of the Liberian constitution.
"Unless she instructs those nominees of hers to desist from carrying out functions of city mayors, our party will have to take some action against her. We're gonna institute the appropriate legal proceedings to prevent them from exercising the functions of the various offices until they are confirmed by the Liberian Senate as required under the Constitution of Liberia," he said.
But he admitted some positive ares for the President:
"The president has done well in terms of marginal infrastructural improvement; the president has done well in terms of insuring that civil servants are paid on time and even increasing the salaries of civil servants," he said.
But Brumskine said President Sirleaf has performed very poorly in the area of governance.
Acting Information Minister Cletus Sieh said President Sirleaf's appointments are in line with the constitution.
"When the president made an appointment of the city mayor, the Liberty Party headed by Counselor Brumskine led a campaign to discredit what the president had done by going to the Supreme Court. Now let it be established that the Supreme Court ruled that the president has the right, has the power to elect the city mayors," Sieh said.
He rejected Brumskine's accusation that President Sirleaf was practicing a patronage system to pave the way for her re-election in 2011.
"This president has made sure that all oppositions are brought on board. People who were in opposition, people who were associated with other regimes, these people are being brought on board. So to say that there is a patronage system, I think Counselor Brumskine is the only one who understands that because he practices in his own political party," Sieh said.
President Sirleaf this month appointed Benoni Urey as acting Mayor of the City of Careysburg.
Urey, the former chief of Liberia's Bureau of Maritime Affairs under Charles Taylor, is accused of obtaining a vast majority of his wealth through illegal means.
Brumskine said President Sirleaf has abandoned the fight against corruption in Liberia.
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"God help those who help themselves".Go on take legal action against Mama Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Now you're crying of patronage? What you did not do during your time as "Pro-Tempo of the Liberian Senate?" God bless those poor employees who struggled to get justice under this Lawyer as he stood firm to defend the actions of those employers-1992.Even the "Almighty God" decorate you to take the position of Jesus,you will never win presidential elections in Liberia. You must take legal action against President Ellen J. sirleaf in America.
Let Cllr. Brumskine refresh his memory to his days as President Pro-Tempo of the Liberian Senate. Ellen should allow sleeping dog to lie. We have implicit confidence in the leadership of President Sirleaf and I believe Liberians are now having some relative peace because of the President undaunted effort to deliver on her promises. There are other areas where Cllr. Brumskine can do a lot to assist Liberia re-possess all of the funds that were stolen from its resources. The National Legislature is very adamant in ensuring that the processes that would lead to the confiscation of the properties of those who stole from Liberia. He is needed in that direction. Let the Counselor know that you do not have to become president before bringing development and/or investment to the country. How many investment/investors has he brought to the Country since after the election? He is said to have come from Buchanan; what is he doing there to win the votes of the people of Buchanan? Let all know that the forth coming election will not be based on blind loyalty.
to: jangray and Dig Daddy T Do you guys really believe that Liberia can become a democracy without a vaible opposition? I am surprised to see that some of us have still not learned our lesson after the civil war. why are you guys blindly in support of Ellen when her gov. is doing the wrong thing? Do you know that she was in opposition to the Tolbert and Doe Govs? opposition are needed to keep the gov. in check,but you guys either don't know or are just plain stupid. If we are not careful we may have another war the way things are going.people are going to get tire of the abuse of power and corruption.
It is good to praise someone when they do right, but it is more right to bring to their attention when they are going astray.
emmazoryon,please tell me the meaning of "Democracy?" I don't know it,that's why I go contrary,with respect to its principles. Should we begin to cry "wolf",when we don't see things going our own way or should we be concern with the general situation that affects mankind? For calling us or suggesting that we're "plain stupid",I need not border you on this. Because I know a 'dog does not give birth to a wolf,though they look alike'.If it does,then there will be some intelligence in the behavior of the poppies.Because the wolf/dog breed will lower the constant rate of barking. I leave you to do a "brain storm" on this to know what it means.
By us refusing to accept your Lawyer's lies, will cause Liberians to go back to war,then, let them go back to the bush and turn to AK-47 boys and girls.It's not a strange thing to Liberians but we're fully prepared to stop any armed movement.We're civilians with a great voice and might.
I don't even know why i am trying to argue with you. You sound like a typical liberian.
just know that there can be no true demoncracy without a responsible and viable opposition. your seem to be an ellen supporter so what ever anyone says in opposition to her policies,decisions,governance,etc -which statements may have some substance to them-you will still not look at it with logic,because there is a disease in our society that clouds your reasoning in these kinds of matter.
For me,I am not an everything goes person eventhough I will be the first to acknowledge when the right things are been done-like Charles Brumskine did in his interview with VOA.He praised ellen for some things she is doing well and challenged her on others she is not yet making effort to handle which has the propensity to hinder the growth of our young demoncracy.
Can you just tell me in which demoncracy in the world where city majors are appointed by the president? If the supreme court of liberia gave the right to her to appoint majors why are those majors not been confirmed by the senate as mandated by the same suprime court?
Maybe you take these things to be jokes,but they are not.they can have far damaging consequences and must speak against them.
when sth is wrong it is wrong.
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