Washington, DC — Former president pro-tem of the Liberian Senate, Cllr. Charles W. Brumskine returned to his country last week after many years in exile in the United States. He fled Liberia in 1998 after he broke away from the regime of President Charles Taylor. Brumskine is planning to run for president in elections scheduled for October this year but the government of Charles Taylor has been cracking down on dissent and is battling an armed rebellion in the Northern part of Liberia - factors which have raised questions about the safety and security of Brumskine back on Liberian soil. Before he left for Monrovia, he gave allAfrica.com an interview.
Why are you returning to Liberia, amid all the uncertainties and security concerns?
I made the commitment to go home, not just for an event or a political process but because there is a need to be back in Liberia, for all of us to contribute to the building of our nation. I am going to be there, to be home, with our people to work.
Looking at the present conditions, with government cracking down on the opposition, the independent press and human rights organizations, what kind of contribution will you be able to make?
I know certainly what we will not be able to do by staying outside. By remaining in this country. Not discounting or dismissing the risks of returning to Liberia, I think it is important for all us to go home at this time, and join hands with those who believe in the rule of law to move the country forward. Our country needs to be resurrected and this is not about a personal or political agenda. I am not going there for an event. We need to put together a national agenda for rebuilding Liberia.
We read recently that you have joined one of the political parties in Liberia. What prompted that choice?
Well, I toiled with the idea for a while, thinking about which party I would join and I decided to go with Liberian Unification Party (LUP) for two reasons; that party is certainly closest to a grassroots movement, it was founded by the late Gabriel Kpolle, a schoolteacher, a humble person, and an example for all of us and it remained true to its ideals. The second reason is that in 1997, when the political parties all agree to put forward one candidate, only LUP stayed the course and never presented a presidential candidate, remaining faithful to the common agreement. And I share similar values with them. They stayed in the coalition after almost everyone broke away. They lived up to their commitment.
Looking at Kenya's experience, how important is the formation of a coalition of opposition parties?
I think it is important. I think in 1997, the Liberian electorate sent a very strong message to the politicians. When the political leaders could not hold together, the National Patriotic Party (NPP, the ruling party of Charles Taylor) of which I was a member at the time, won by some 75 percent. It is important to go back to that coalition and make sure that we present a unified front and let our people know we are united to work together for the good of the country.
How do you see such a coalition taking shape?
The formation of a coalition is in the process. LUP, LAP (Liberian Action Party) UP (Unity Party) and LPP (Liberian People's Party) - and I understand other parties have expressed interest in joining what we see as a grand coalition. A primary should be organized. Not a caucus where an elite political group choose the standard bearer.
Can you foresee the present regime allowing political campaigning? What about places like Nimba, or Buchanan.
There are no illusions about the situation. It is not stable, there are lot of security problems, everyday we read about politicians, journalists and human rights activists being harassed, jailed or accused of treasonable offenses; but the bottom line is that this is our country, we have to go into our country, we have to test the process. I believe that Mr. Taylor needs these elections even more than anyone else and I am convinced, that our collective presence would help the create the atmosphere to move the country forward.
Many people have called for the deployment of a 'stabilization force' in Liberia to maintain security during the election. Is this a condition of your participation in elections?
A stabilization force is needed in Liberia. The call came from everyone. The security situation is not stable. But the presence of that security force in Liberia does not depend on the will of the opposition but rather the Taylor government and the international community. And so far, there is no movement on the part of the international community.
Although the stabilization force may not be coming, although the environment may not be what we want, it is our duty to ensure that Mr. Taylor is not allowed to have a second term by default. That's why we think that notwithstanding the conditions, we must go in there to challenge Mr. Taylor to join us in ensuring that the process is carried forward. Therefore, we hope for an international force to come in but, no matter what happens, we will be there to exercise our constitutional and God-given rights.
Can you see Mr. Taylor allowing free and fair elections and abiding by the results in the event that he loses?
I don't think we Liberians should put the burden solely on Mr. Taylor to allowing us to do this or that. Liberia does not belong to Mr. Taylor's alone, this is a country that belongs to three million people and Mr. Charles Taylor is just one citizen just like everyone else.
The question is whether we are ready to exercise our constitutional and God-given right to move our country forward. If we neglect or are derelict in exercising these rights, Mr. Taylor would do what he wants to do. I don't believe in violence but we are going to exercise our rights under the law.
Some Liberians have been calling for a war crimes tribunal, what is your position?
What we need, foremost, is reconciliation at this point. We must ensure that the integrity of the rule of law is upheld, whether we are talking about our own laws or international laws. About a war crime tribunal, is anyone above the law? No, nobody must be. Should anyone who committed a crime be made accountable for it? Of course, they must face justice. But people should not be persecuted because they were in a certain government or party. The time for finger-pointing is over! We have all contributed somehow, individually or collectively to the problems we are facing today. We need a leadership that would bring together and move forward.
One issue that will always come back to haunt you is your collaboration with Charles Taylor. What have you learned from that experience?
The best political experience I had was to work as leader of the Senate at the time when Taylor was president. It showed my character. And for the first time in our history we had a senate that was independent. As far as working with Mr. Taylor, I was with 75 percent of our electorate to vote for Mr. Taylor, because we thought it would bring us peace. But Mr. Taylor has failed to accomplish the civil mandate given to him. There was never any illusion of what Mr. Taylor was, but rather the belief that he could manage a very delicate time in our history.
What led to your break-up with Taylor?
It would be easier to say why we never came together because Taylor and I had problems from day one, right after inauguration. We had problems from the beginning and it was plain to me that we were going in two different directions. Our views and aspirations for the people of Liberia, on how to conduct the affairs of a government and how to pull our people out of their miseries were totally different. We disagreed about the issue of monopoly, whether or not banks should be free to give depositors their money, we disagreed on the issue of selling Liberian lands to non-Liberians. We disagreed about almost everything. It was never personal, it was all about policies. Beyond all that I had hoped that we would have agreed on the need to maintain peace and tranquility in Liberia.
Many Liberians point to the ethnic divide between the "natives" and the "Americo-Liberians", with all its economic and social inequities. What is your position on the issue?
I think there is a real problem and those who are concerned about it must be allowed to speak up and we must all find a solution. The fact is that many Liberians, because of their tribal origins were denied social and economic advantages. It is time that we look at all these issues and find a solution. We can no longer sweep that under the rug. Progress has been made but there are still problems linked to land ownership and all of these need to be brought into the open and discussed.
What is your vision for Liberia?
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It is not about seeking a position or looking for a job. I do not have a platform that I am taking to Liberia for people to adopt, but I have some ideas that I am strongly attached to. My hope is that my party would see the wisdom in those ideas, make them part of whatever common agenda we all agree on and move the country forward. There is a need for renewal. There was a dream at the foundation of Liberia a dream of freedom and liberty for all that never took place. In 1980, we awoke one day to a new hope but that hope too was short lived - a hope for a new day but the euphoria was short-lived.
Now we find ourselves in an era where might makes right and it seems that we have gone back 200 years. This is the first time in our history that parents are more educated than children. We are in the midst of degradation and we need to move forward. Water, housing, primary sanitation need to be tackled.
I hope that we all go out and look for the best Liberian minds and put them to work. There was lot of mistakes made in our history. Who put us in this mess?
One of the underlying problems we have is that of two societies, one of customary laws and another part of society that lives by Western-style laws. Under the customary law, the president is chief executive and the last resort in the judiciary. This must change to bring everyone under one law and this would also put an end to that ethnic division we spoke of earlier.
Finally, do you have any apprehension as you head for Liberia? Do you fear for your security?
Yes, I have apprehensions about my security, but even more so for my partisans who have been harassed and beaten up by security people.
But as I said earlier, this is our country and it belongs to all of us. No amount of intimidation should keep us away from our own country. We cannot develop Liberia without being there. We cannot offer alternatives to Liberians without being in Liberia.
I want to be part of the reconstruction of Liberia, I want to work with my fellow Liberians to attain peace and reconcile our people. I can only do so by going home and no amount of harassment and intimidation will keep me away.
