| PICTORIAL : HINDOLO SUMANGURU TRYE JOINS THE APC
Sunday June 4, 2006
SLPP (UK and Ireland) Hosts the First Diaspora Party Workshop Monday April 24, 2006 Under the auspices of the national leadership of the Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party, the UK and Ireland branch will host the first Diaspora workshop on the 29th. April 2006. The key objectives of this all important event are to discuss and consolidate the relationship between the Diaspora branches and the parent body, as well as proposals to avail the national elections in 2007. The workshop will be attended by the National Chairman, Alhaji U.N.S Jah, National Secretary General, J. J. Saffa, The Finance Secretary, Mrs Thompson, National Publicity Secretary, Victor Ryder, the National Women’s Leader, Dr. Bernadette Lahai, the National Young Generation Leader, Sahr Nyama, and the SLPP Parliamentary Representative as well as a cross spectrum of the UK and Ireland Branch Membership. Over 200 participants are expected to attend with a wider coverage of the Sierra Leonean and African Press in London. The Workshop will be preceded by a grand independence reunion evening on Friday, 28th April 2006, in the South London Borough of Southwark, the home of 25% of Sierra Leonean residents in the UK. The UK and Ireland Branch Executive have extended warm invitation to notable UK politicians, Sierra Leonean Professionals and business men and women to join in the workshop and reunion evening. Chairman, Tamba J. Lamina has intimated that, an event like this was long overdue, but the restructuring of the party and huge task of reconstruction after the war in the country has not made it easy. For more information contact: Harold Bundu Saffa, Secretary General, UK & Ireland Branch- 07950271429
Good Policing and Right to Information: The cure for Democracy in the Commonwealth? By Andrew Galea Debono, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
Monday March 13, 2006
Commonwealth Day, every 13th March, is always a good occasion for us to reflect on the importance of the Commonwealth, on what it has achieved and on what it can achieve. Whilst many still question its relevance in today’s world, wondering whether it is just a relic of a colonial past gone by, objectively speaking the Commonwealth can play an important part in helping countries move towards democracy. In the past it played a part in ending the military rule in Nigeria and also played a strong role in the campaign to end apartheid in South Africa.
Nowadays the Commonwealth still plays a low profile but important role in strengthening democracy in certain countries. It does this in several ways such as the Good Offices role of the Secretary-General which is important in conflict prevention and resolution, as well as for post-conflict reconstruction and development, and also by means of different specialised divisions of the Secretariat, different programmes and also Experts Groups which provide support where needed. Many feel, for example, that the new constitution in Swaziland would have not seen the light of day had it not been for the intervention of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is also providing support to the Maldives to help them achieve the proposed reforms that would bring democracy to the country.
The are certain issues which can contribute to creating a climate where democracy can flourish, such as realising people’s right to access government-held information. Another issue is people’s ability to access justice, which specifically means the provision of efficient, impartial and accountable policing. While disparate, these two points would contribute to putting an end to problems such as state-sponsored intimidation of members of the opposition and the independent media, lack of accountability of the government and government agents, such as the police, and widespread corruption.
Governments which operate in secrecy are often less likely to be accountable to their citizens and have more opportunity for arbitrary actions and corruption. The Commonwealth has the capacity to promote and encourage the enactment of right to information (RTI) legislation in those countries that don’t already have such a law – or encourage it to improve in countries where it exists but is not yet as efficient as it could be. Not only does the Commonwealth have the capacity to do so, but it actually has an obligation to do so – in 2003, Commonwealth Heads of Government stated that the right to information was in fact one of the objectives that they seek to promote.
Recognising and implementing the right to access information is a simple – but extremely useful – step towards open, effective and responsive governance. The right to information is also essential to facilitating meaningful participatory development. For a relatively small cost and investment of time, entrenchment of an effective access to information regime increases government transparency and reduces corruption, and thereby supports economic growth. The expert knowledge and best practice available around the Commonwealth can, and should, be used by those countries that would like to enact RTI legislation.
Policing is another very important human rights issues facing the Commonwealth today. Over the last few years, more and more support has been building for the Commonwealth to take a serious look at the policing within its borders. It seems that the Commonwealth Secretariat is considering putting together a Commonwealth Expert Group on Policing. The Expert Group would build on the Secretariat’s work on police training in West Africa, which it has been conducting through its Human Rights Unit.
Commonwealth Expert Groups have an excellent record of pulling together skilled authorities from around the Commonwealth and making recommendations that have influenced both members of the Commonwealth and the wider international community. The creation of an Expert Group is a real chance for the Commonwealth to positively impact on the lives of its communities, and to also showcase best practice examples of democratic policing to the rest of the world.
Last year, both the Commonwealth People’s Forum and the Commonwealth Human Rights Forum called on the Commonwealth to “establish a Commonwealth Expert Group on policing to develop guidelines on training, accountability mechanisms, legal regimes and mutual professional support to ensure democratic policing.” In meetings, government delegations also expressed support, and in their 2005 CHOGM communiqué, the Commonwealth Heads of Government urged member countries to ensure that “national poverty reduction frameworks and development assistance programmes include measures to build effective and accountable security and justice sectors, particularly in countries affected by conflicts.”
The capacity for the Commonwealth to help its member countries is there and such help is feasible. Days like Commonwealth Day should remind us of this and encourage citizens and civil society to ask for the help necessary to see their society flourish in democracy, freedom and good will. The Commonwealth is not an association of the past but is still very much alive and active today and can assist its members to achieve the democracy their citizens so deserve.
Challenge to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2006
First Name: Abu Bakarr Last Name: Koroma President All People’s Congress (APC) Washington DC, Metropolitan Chapter North America Branch USA
Comments: Is it true that Ernest Bai Koroma, Afsatu Kabba and others are members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)? This is a question I am posing to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat to answer and also furnish the people of the Republic of Sierra Leone with documentary proofs.
Is it true that Ernest Bai Koroma, Afsatu Kabba and others are members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)? This is a question I am posing to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat to answer and also furnish the people of the Republic of Sierra Leone with documentary proofs.
Now lets get a simple fact straight in the first place. For the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to accuse Hon. Ernest Bai Koroma, leader and flag-bearer of the All People’s Congress (APC) party and Hon. Afsatu Kabba and others of not resigning from the PDP before joining the APC, then it means both of them are still members of the PDP right? Right.
But here are my concerns though. Not withstanding the fact that the PDP Constitution states that members must resign from the PDP before joining another political party. Is there not a clause in the PDP Constitution that requires the PRP secretariat to write and demand a member to submit his or her resignation letter before crossing over to another political party?
Also, is there not a clause in the PDP Constitution that states that if a member is continuously not meeting his or her financial obligations, and also not attending meetings, a letter must be send to that member from the PDP Secretariat demanding that member to pay his or her dues and also to show up for meetings or will face disciplinary action? I am therefore in doubt whether the PDP Secretariat took any action to the effect. If the PDP Secretariat did, I am challenging them to furnish the people of the Republic of Sierra Leone with such proofs.
One thought I should bring to light is that I feel it’s the norm in Sierra Leone for politicians to move from one party to another without resigning from their previous party. This practice I must vehemently condemn and say loud and clear that it is a bad practice and also illegal.
If the PDP Secretariat wants to fuss about Hons. Ernest Bai Koroma, Afsatu Kabba and others not resigning from their party, what will the APC say about all the SLPP big guns who were APC and have now crossed over to the SLPP? Did they resign their membership from the APC? I bet they didn’t. I also bet that the founder and then leader of the PDP, the late Hon. Thaimu Bangura (may his soul rest in peace) did not resign from the APC.
In Hon. Afsatu Kabba’s case, didn’t the PDP Secretariat know that she left the PDP and joined the ruling SLPP, and was even appointed as deputy minister? And it was only after some misunderstanding between the President Alhaji Dr. Ahmed Tejan Kabba and Hon. Afsatu Kabba that she was relieved from her post. And also it was later that Hon. Kabba crossed over to the APC from SLPP. In this regard, I am calling on the PDP Secretariat to explain the people of Sierra Leone why they didn’t protested the appointment of Hon. Kabba as deputy minister on the basis of not resigning from the PDP, and only protesting now.
Likewise, if the PDP is calling on the chairman of the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) to launch an immediate investigation on their protest, I must also call on the chairman of the PPRC to do like wise on every active politician in Sierra Leone who were with one party but later crossed to another to find out who resigned their membership from their previous party. APPEAL FOR GOLLEY’S RELEASE (FROM LONDON ) Monday January 23, 2006 First_Name: Edward On Thursday, January 12th — I was informed that my dear friend Mr. Omrie Golley, who is a London Barrister and former UN peace negotiator, was arrested by the Sierra Leone police in his hotel as he was about to leave for the airport to catch his flight back to London. Immediately following his detainment, I was told that the President of the country, Tejan Kabbah, went on national television and radio declaring that Mr. Golley had been apprehended, for reasons that he was suspected in trying to destabilize and subvert the government of Sierra Leone. I am told that no evidence to substantiate the accusation has yet been presented. Although the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Oliver Somassa, has since issued a statement that Mr. Golley and three other people have been detained pertaining to matters of state security. As for clarifying who the three other people were that the police arrested with him, the police neglected to say that they were his personal young staff helpers that have been assisting him year in and year out to carry his bags, to cook for him and to do his shopping and run his errands every time he visited Sierra Leone. In his most recent trip, Mr. Golley was visiting the country on private legal matter on behalf of a European client. His arrest comes as a shock to us all, for we recognize Mr. Golley as being a respected barrister and a man of peace whose success as a UN appointed negotiator brought tranquility and economic development to the country. Indeed Mr. Golley is widely credited for playing a most the pivotal role in the Sierra Leone peace process when he, by request of the UN, went forth and assumed the role of spokes-person for the RUF, (The Revolutionary United Front), who were engaged at the time in a most horrific civil war with the Sierra Leone Government. I feel the label Mr. Golley has been given by the police as being a ?RUF Strongman’ certainly demonstrates that the police desire that Mr. Golley be viewed by the general public in a manner that brings about a more erroneous label of him, rather than by what he truly is, which was and still remains, a true peacemaker. Working alongside the United Nations, the Government of Sierra Leone and the International Community, Mr. Golley was able to negotiate an end to the conflict, thus bringing peace, tranquility and prosperity to the country. This is fully documented and no one should deviate from this fact. Since his work with the UN, and over the years, Mr. Golley has been a regular visitor to Freetown, often bringing financial investors like myself with him to boost the country’s economy, thereby adding to the prosperity which the people of the land seek so dearly. On several occasions, Mr. Golley had been asked to throw his hat into the political ring, but as he always told to me, he prefers the tranquility of his personal home life rather than undertaking the task of the nation’s leadership, when he knows full well that others are already doing that job. If a change in heart has taken place, it is still not a reason to label him a state security threat. His wife has been informed that his telephone privileges have been suspended. This act deprives Mr. Golley of his human rights, for no one should be deprived of such independence. The Inspector General of Police, Oliver Somassa, stated that he entered the country on his Sierra Leonean Passport, which he always does. Mr. Golley was born in England, has a British passport and this does indeed make him a British citizen, which grants him the protection of Queen and Country. We humbly urge the government for his immediate release from prison so that he may return to his loved ones in London. “Arresting Mr. Omrie Golley and accusing him of subverting the government of Sierra Leone, is something that makes no sense to those like myself who have worked along side Mr. Golley in his quest to help the country economically. I urge the Government of Sierra Leone to demonstrate that it has a keen interest to allow its committed sons and daughters to freely participate in the development of the country without fear of intimidation or recrimination.” Mr. Golley’s immediate family, friends and clients alike, eagerly await his return from Sierra Leone and are convinced that whatever the outcome, he will forever continue to bring prosperity to the land.
USELESS EXERCISE OF EXECUTIVE POWER S. I. KAMARA
When Dr. Peter Tucker was charged with heading and directing the commission to rewrite our national constitution, it was with the 1978 constitution in mind and sight and also and most important to fit into the new era that was to come which is the multiple dispensation.
I am not a constitutional lawyer or lawyer of any sort but a layman. The 1978 constitution gave extraordinary powers to the president at the time, Dr. Siaka Probyn Stevens. The APC one party constitution virtually made Siaka a demi god thereby putting everything about every sierra Leonean into the hands of one creation of the Almighty God. Every body became de facto and de jure a member of the APC. A senior civil servant could become a permanent secretary only and except he was a card carrier of the APC. The president not only could appoint a judge of the superior court of judicature but he had that constitutional right to fire or sack him.
That system was the final straw that broke the moral fabric of the sierra Leonean society as friends were going against friends, families going against each other, wives going against husbands and children becoming lawless and carefree. The educational standard, that we were once proud of, sank to irretrievable levels.
Dr Peter Tucker and his commission strenuously and with patriotic fervour and democratic principles looked at the 1978 constitution and reduced some if not most of the wonderful executive powers that Siaka Stevens had. Judges finally became protected from arbitrary dismissal; permanent secretaries maintained their political leanings etc.
The first person to use the 1991 Constitution has been Tejan Kabba. What has amazed me is the fact that Sierra Leoneans especially some journalists, lawyers and the general citizenry all have been keeping quiet and allowing Tejan Kabba to do what he liked with the very constitution he swore to protect and upkeep. He never protected the people when they actually needed protection instead he ran away to Guinea with many sierra Leonean following in his wake only to come back and benefit from the suffering and killings levied against innocent people by the AFRC.
Kabba had and still has no respect for the constitution. He twists it the way he wants under the direct advice of Berewa. Had it not been for late Brigadier General Maxwell Kobe of the Nigerian Army he would have disbanded the army. In his anger from Guinea he arrested soldiers he suspected and put them on a show trial with Berewa as Attorney General and chief prosecutor making thousands from the very soldiers that he advised to be killed by firing squad. Did they all deserve to die? Let the people and posterity judge. This was the very Kabba who informed the world that he had prior knowledge of the planned coup that sent him running to Guinea leaving his people at the mercy of the brutal AFRC.
When Kabba was to protect and defend the people, he woefully failed. When, before the January 6th 1999 invasion of Freetown by the now defunct RUF, a journalist wrote in one of the local newspapers that he saw rebels coming down like ?mannas from heaven’ Kabba locked him up for alarming the people. The rebels came down and really invaded Freetown. One would have expected Kabba to have called the guy to get more information from him and take measures to frustrate the rebels’ efforts. This was a blatant and useless use of executive powers especially when there was not only truth but that thousands of innocent people died and thousands lost properties. Kabba lied, as usual, to the people that he would help them rebuild their homes. They are yet to benefit anything.
Since independence, no leader had ever used state residence for prayers except Kabba. Kabba has been using Hill Station Lodge for Friday prayers and, guess what, all the known sycophants request invitation to go and pray side by side with Kabba or be seen around. No journalist or lawyer or human rights activist or the ordinary citizen has ever raised a voice on this misuse of executive power. There are mosques in Freetown where Kabba could easily go and pray to the Almighty God because that is the house of God made specifically for that purpose. But Kabba has always been afraid of moving out of the lodge because he knows he has failed the people. Going to the mosque to pray with the people is one act to mingle with the people who put their lives on the line to bring him to power but no, Kabba now regards those very people as infected with communicable diseases with offensive odour and he cannot stand. Otherwise why should he keep away from the ordinary sierra Leonean?
Let us look at the Judiciary where Kabba has put all his cronies to protect him and make the way clear for all what he wants in our country. Sections 135 (1) (2) (3) all show the importance of the Judicial Service Commission in the appointment of judges to the judicature. But does this commission exist? Let people like Theophilus Gbenda tell us. This part of the constitution was brought about to reduce the absolute power the president had under the 1978 Constitution to hire and fire judges. But what happens here? Kabba has kept quiet over the formation of the judicial service commission thereby arrogating to himself that right to simply appoint judges and use his surrogates in Parliament to confirm their appointments. Everybody has kept quiet and let this man have his way. Why? What is wrong with Sierra Leonean? Are we doomed or cursed to eternal failure, decadence and doom? Don’t we have brains? Why do we allow our leaders to do to us whatever they like? Are we going to wait for God’s intervention when people in Ghana are moving into the 21st century?
Kabba changed the meaning of inauguration when after the results of the 2002 elections he hurriedly appointed Justice Timbo to act as Chief Justice who in turn swore him into office at his Hill Station lodge. Timbo knew that was wrong but went along anyway because he wanted the office and saw that as an opportunity. It is the understanding that after any national elections the winner is sworn into office at a ceremony, like we have been used to in Sierra Leone, in parliament. But no, Kabba was in such a hurry that he went ahead and did it as if there was somebody to strip him of that privilege.
The most blatant and useless exercise of executive power was the case of Paul Kamara of For Di People newspaper. Everybody knows that Paul Kamara does not belong to any political party or grouping so he is free to write the truth. The pursuit of truth has been relentless because he is a Sierra Leonean. He spoke and wrote the truth about Justice Tolla Thompson when he was Chairman of SLAFA. Paul Kamara wrote that time that Justice Tolla Thompson, as Appeal Court judge under section 138 (4) had no right to be chairman as he was receiving profit or remuneration. He was hounded by people like Dr. Sama Banya and taken to court presided over by a female judge who was referring to Justice Tolla Thompson as a senior colleague meaning who dared Paul Kamara to criticize him. Later this very Tolla Thompson was promoted to the Supreme Court.
Paul Kamara merely reproduced a report from the commission of inquiry headed by Justice Beoku Betts which stated the true character of Tejan Kabba. Kabba suddenly saw himself as a mini god and had him, Paul, prosecuted though he, Kabba, did not go to court. Kabba always has the equivalent of the late Ayatollah Qhalkali notoriously known as the butcher of Tehran, in the person of Justice Bankole Raschid. This judge did/does everything Kabba wanted/wants him to do from declaring Charles Margai a non member of the S.L.P.P. because he could not produce a membership card when he the Kabba did not have one, to sentencing Paul Kamara to prison for daring to publish a report, he, Paul did not write.
All these people say they fear God but how? I challenge them that they do not believe in God. Nobody can believe in God and encourage your fellow human being to levy unnecessary punishment on another human being just because you want a secure retirement. When I read the appeal made by lawyer Jenkins Johnston, I asked myself is Tejan Kabba God Almighty? Has he forgotten how Siaka Stevens and others ended? Does he have children or care for them?
Whom does Kabba want to believe that crap that the Appeals Court freed Paul Kamara? Let us look at the pattern. Momoh Pujeh was taken to court for trumped up charges and sentenced to a jail term because Kabba suspected Pujeh would challenge him for the leadership of the S.L.P.P. He got the gullible public by accusing Pujeh fo corruption. When the leadership election passed and Kabba again became leader, the Appeals Court met and freed him making it appear that the legal system was working perfectly, bull s…. Kabba again has orchestrated the release of Paul Kamara to appear as if the legal process was taking its course and secondly to coincide with the donors conference in London.
What has Kabba gained from all this? As far as I am concerned, nothing except the useless exercise of executive power. Anybody seeing Paul on his release will ask the question how can Kabba be so inhuman to his fellow citizen? Could he not have used Dr. Banya, his djeliba, to counter Paul? Has the incarceration of Paul erased what Paul reported? Who has won the fight? Kabba definitely has not worn this fight as indeed he has not worn the battle against bad governance, decadence, poverty, youth unemployment, vindictiveness and utter wickedness. In short, this is a useless exercise of executive power. Kabba should be held accountable after he leaves office. I advise Paul to do just that. Kabba did not like what Justice Beoku Betts did to him but here he is today uselessly using his executive power against a fellow citizen. The charging to court of Charles Margai would be another useless exercise of executive power because Kabba and Berewa lack what it takes to convince the people otherwise. They are trying tooth and nail to keep Charles Margai behind bars then deal with the APC like in Uganda. I do hope it does not backfire or boomerang. So people like Theophilus Gbenda can now resume their attack on Charles. Oh power.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH SAMFORAY ? Wednesday September 21, 2005 First_Name: Safa Last_Name: Lahai Email_Address: [email protected] Address: 230 Parkhill Avenue City: New York State: NY Zip_Code: 10304 Comments: WHAT IS WRONG WITH SAM FORAY? Sam we did not put our lives, money, times and personality on the line in other to be redicule. What you are doing is totally against the Chief’s interest and what we all stand for. Our fight is a ligit one, and we can do it without a threat of another carnaige. Bringing all the batle hading groups together is a threat to our democracy, you know that so please stop this nonsense and come back to the main stream. Sam, you are not a policy formulator you are a spokesman you should be talking not making or formulating anything..please stop. I dont know what you are pressing on with forming this gange; will it be that you have your own agenda? you know our fight now is to take the chiefs case both to the people of Sierra Leone and the special court itself but why are you deviating from this..why? please come back to the main stream and continue with a united effort to free the chief and restore our constitution…no law should be above Sierra Leone CONSTITUTION not even the Quran or the Bible…that is our fight….please come back May the lord guide you Thank you all. Safa. I AM PRAYING FOR APC TO WIN Saturday September 10, 2005 First_Name: Kadie Kadie We need a strong candidate who truly cares about the welfare and the feeling of the people of Sierra Leone. We need a strong, ambitious, well matured, and not evil blood killers like N.P.R.C. I prayed for the Almighty God to give wisdom, and strength to the A.P.C candidate. I am strongly a strong supporter of A.P.C. First and foremost, this so called blood killers which is N.P.R.C, killed our brothers and sisters without justisfication. Our innocent family were killed innocently without any proof. May the Almighty God punished and this ignorant, opportunist evil blood killers like Maada Bio, Tom Nyuma, and Taqi, to name a few. Anything a man soweth so shall he reap. Maada Bio, your ass should be inprisioned for the wrong thing u did December 29, 1992. To hell with u guys, and may u guys be puinished, and may ur unborn kids be cursed and be punished. I love A.P.C, and i will always do. STOP THE AMBIGUITY By Emmanuel Abalo This writer is stunned and taken aback by the ambiguous positions by some Liberian political operatives, particularly on the Charles Taylor extradition to face the Special Court in Sierra Leone to answer the indictments. According to news reports emanating from a presidential debate held on August 19, 2005 in Monrovia, among the first four presidential candidates, namely Messers Togba Nah Tipoteh, Roland Massaquoi, Varney Sherman and Ms Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf , organizers and the media sought a simple commitment from the contenders: “Who is willing to turn over former President Charles Taylor to the Special Court in Sierra Leone?” The answers of the contenders ranged from .”lets not personalize this matter .” to “Charles Taylor will come to this country if the Liberian people decides so and the leadership will have no option but do accept that.” According to the a media release issued by INTERPOL on December 04, 2003, in Lyon France, “At the request of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Interpol has issued a Red Notice for former Liberian President Charles Taylor. This is in accordance with a cooperation agreement between Interpol and that court, finalized in November 2003. Charles Taylor resigned as President of Liberia on 11 August 2003 and was granted asylum in Nigeria. The Special Court for Sierra Leone was established as a result of UN Security Council Resolution 1315 of 14 August 2000. It has indicted Charles Taylor on charges of crimes against humanity, violations of the Geneva Convention and other serious violations of international law.” The position of the international community is unified and crystal clear. There is a 17-count indictment issued on March 7, 2003 by the Special Court for Sierra Leone against Mr. Taylor. For the record, Mr. Taylor made an application to the Special Court in which he sought to have the indictment and arrest warrant quashed citing the benefits of immunity as a Head of State and jurisdiction of the Court. His application was adjudicated and subsequently dismissed. Liberia is not before the court. Taylor is and rightly so. Considering international law, its is quite clear that states’ sovereignty does not inhibit the prosecution of Heads of State before an international tribunal The argument is made by ECOWAS, the Nigerian government and the African Union that they have no credible information that Mr. Taylor is “meddling” in the political affairs of Liberian, which is a violation of the terms of his asylum deal. Thus, they are resisting pressure and calls to turn Mr. Taylor over to the Special Court but have hinted they may consider releasing Mr. Taylor to a duly elected Liberian government after the October election. This is besides the point. If Liberians, through their government, demand that Mr. Taylor accounts for his alleged crimes, then so be it! It is quite understandable that some politicians and lay people are terrified of the possibility that Taylor’s return to Liberia may regenerate another murderous chapter. Remember his parting words just before Mr. Taylor flew into exile, ?God’s willing, I shall return…” . Additionally, Liberians have been brutalized and humiliated and killed over and over and over by prior governments. The only comfort here is the fact that failed leaders like Idi Amin of Uganda, Jean Bedel-Bokassa, of the Central African Republic, Mengistu Haile Meriam of Ethiopia, Slobadan Milosevic of Yugoslavia, among others, have yet to return to power! The bold, honest and right answer by any of the presidential aspirants should be a clear, unequivocal and unambiguous commitment to the rule of law; in this instance requesting for and turning over Mr. Taylor to the Special Court so that justice can be served. There is no room for legal and political acrobatics for any future leader in this matter! The dignity of Liberians and their nation must be restored by our leaders who should be prepared to honor and respect human rights and international law. Liberians have a right to demand a straight forward commitment for justice from their leaders and hold them to it. Reconciliation is identifying the wrong, accountability and restitution. ******************************* The author, Emmanuel Abalo is an exiled Liberian journalist , media and human rights activist. He served as a former News Director of the erstwhile Catholic owned ELCM Community Radio and later with the Liberian Broadcasting System (ELBC). He is the former Acting President of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) . Mr. Abalo presently resides in Pennsylvania, USA and works as an analyst with CITIGROUP, North America.
First_Name: Kennie L |
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