Washington, DC — A Liberian Diplomat based in the United States has warned that attempts to politicize the Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) could undermine efforts by the Liberian Government to effectively implement the report.
The Minister Counselor for Press and Public Affairs at the Embassy of Liberia in Washington, D.C., Mr. Gabriel I.H. Williams said that as Liberians prepare to vote in a democratic election in 2011, it appears that the TRC report is being used in some quarters to try to force President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from seeking re-election for a second term.
According to a dispatch from the Liberian Embassy in Washington, Mr. Williams was speaking recently at a forum held at the Headquarters of the National Endowment for Democracy. The well-attended event was held under the theme, Liberia: Elections, Corruption, Justice, and the Role of the International Community. The main speaker at the forum was Mr. J. Aloysius Toe, Founder and former Executive Director of the Foundation for Human Rights and Democracy (FOHRD), a Liberian-based human rights advocacy group.
In his address, Mr. Toe said the TRC recently made a number of recommendations, including prosecution of war criminals and political sanctions against individuals who financed, aided and abetted the war. “Unfortunately, the people who are subjects of the TRC recommendations are those who control power and wealth in Liberia, including the President,” he added.
Mr. Toe noted that because President Sirleaf was a financier of the war, the TRC recommended that she be banned from participating in political activities in Liberia for 30 years. However, he added, President Sirleaf has been doing everything possible to ensure that neither she nor those close to her are held accountable for their participation in the Liberian civil war.
Reacting to Mr. Toe’s assertions, Minister Counselor Williams indicated that the Government has done whatever was necessary over the years to support the work of the TRC, which has helped to identify some of the root causes of the Liberian conflict in its report.
The Liberian diplomat stated that while the government has endorsed some of the proposals such as the National Palava Hut programs and reparations so as to promote reconciliation, some of the TRC recommendations have constitutional and legal implications requiring the consideration of the Justice Ministry and the recently-constituted Independent Human Rights Commission.
For example, Mr. Williams pointed out, the TRC recommendation calling for the banning of Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and others from participation in political activities for 30 years is unconstitutional. He added that under the Liberian Constitution, an individual is banned from participation in political activities for only five years after said individual is tried and found guilty of treasonable acts by a court of competent jurisdiction.
“Under Liberian laws, as is the case with countries like the United States that subscribe to the rule of law, accused individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law,” he said, adding, “Madam Sirleaf has never been taken to court, tried, and found guilty for her role in the Liberian civil war as being alleged.”
Mr. Williams wondered as to how the TRC could pardon someone like the ex-rebel commander called “Butt Naked,” who testified that he killed about 30,000 people and was involved in cannibalism, but the TRC would impose sanction against Madam Sirleaf, who simply testified that she provided some funds at the early stage of the NPFL uprising for humanitarian purposes, and she’s on record for opposing Mr. Charles Taylor for several years since the early stage of the NPFL armed insurgency.
Equally important, Mr. Williams also stated, is the fact that Madam Sirleaf has repeatedly apologized to the Liberian people for her ties with Mr. Taylor during the early stage of the uprising, and majority of Liberians voted for her to become President of Liberia in a free and fair democratic election in 2005.
Also addressing himself to claims of undue Executive or Presidential influence over the National Legislature and the Judiciary, the Liberian diplomat said such claims are questionable, considering that lawmakers of the ruling party constitute the minority bloc in the National Legislature, while ongoing judicial reforms are yielding positive results towards strengthening and making the judiciary more independent.
On the question of corruption, Mr. Williams agreed with Mr. Toe that corruption remains a major problem in the country. However, he added, Government is endeavoring to tackle this very serious problems through legislations, establishing and strengthening of institutions such as the Anti-Corruption Commission, the General Auditing Commission, the Judiciary, and the Ministry of Justice – all of which are faced with tremendous financial, logistical and manpower challenges in carrying out their duties.
Regarding Mr. Toe’s claim that freedom of press has been under attack since the Government of President Sirleaf came into office, Mr. Williams, a former leader of the Press Union of Liberia who recently served as Deputy Minister of Information, intimated, “I can say without any reservation that the Liberian people are enjoying a level of freedom unprecedented in the history of our country.”
Showing a scar on his hand which he attributed to security brutality during the past when he was a journalist, Mr. Williams reflected on those days when media houses were arbitrarily shut down or vandalized, and journalists were brutalized or jailed.
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Speaking of the present, he said, “Liberia is today one of the few countries in the world where there is a very high level of freedom of speech and of the press, characterized by multiplicity of independent media entities. For example, Liberia is one of the few countries in Africa or the world with a Freedom of Information Act.”
He said that while much progress has been made in the area of press freedom, there are still challenges. He added that instances of abuse cited by Mr. Toe, such as attacks on journalists by security officers, are not officially sanctioned, and the government has been working to ensure that threats and attacks against journalists are completely discouraged.
Mr. Williams reaffirmed President Sirleaf’s commitment to the building of a new Liberia based on the rule of law, democracy, and good governance. Over the last five years, he added, President Sirleaf has labored tirelessly to restore Liberia’s international image, successfully carried out the reforms required under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative that led to the waiver of more than $4.6 billion external debt by bilateral and multilateral lenders, and Liberia’s economy has attracted more than $16 billion in private investment, among others.
