IT SEEMS LIBERIANS HAVE now reached a place in their governance process to actually begin following what their Constitution says through the rule of law.
BEFORE WE GO FURTHER, let’s define what rule of law is. It is the principle that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is fairly applied and enforced; the principle of government by law.
PROBABLY, UNTIL MONDAY, November 6, 2017, or a few months ago when the Supreme Court handed down its opinion in the landmark case on the Code of Conduct, Liberians didn’t know the true way of the law. On many occasions in time past, they resulted to violence as a recourse to the rule of law in our country. They didn’t think that going to court would have been the best way to settle scores. Some chose the other way trying to get even with someone, who might have hurt or done something to them. Were they right than? Probably, as the Judiciary was completely controlled by the chief politician of the day.
NOW, WITH THE NATION’S highest court’s ruling in the case Liberty Party (LP) vs the National Elections Commission (NEC), most level headed Liberians began commending the court and themselves as Liberians that we are now reaching the place where the rule of law will take precedence over personal whims or caprices.
ON MONDAY, LIBERIANS at home and abroad, sat on the edge and waited for the Court to hand down its ruling in that case that was filed before them by the Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine-headed Liberty Party.
LIBERTY PARTY HAD PRAYED the Supreme Court to issue a Writ of Prohibition on NEC going ahead with preparations for the runoff election, which should have been held yesterday, November 7, 2017.
AFTER HEARING THE ARGUMENTS from all the parties, the Supreme Court, through its five Associate Justices, including Chief Justice Francis Korkpor, ordered authorities of the Elections Commission to go back and hear Liberty Party’s qualms before proceeding with the preparations of the runoff.
WHILE SOME LIBERIANS sharply reacted angrily to the court’s ruling, it was overwhelmingly clear that most Liberians accepted the court’s ruling in good faith.
THE REALITY OF THE DAY is that even most of those who disagreed with the court’s ruling, along with those who have been hailing the court for this landmark presiding, have been calling on everyone to respect the rule of law and that the Supreme Court has spoken.
THIS IS A CLEAR DEVIATION from the past when obeying the law or the court giving verdicts that were far from political interference a reality.
THIS IS INDEED AMONG SIGNS that Liberia is now on the right trajectory and Liberians should do all to remain on this path, where the rule of law takes preeminence over what we think or feel.
OUR DEMOCRACY IS AT work and all Liberians should allow it to continue to flourish at least to bear the true nature of our country’s age—170.
DESPITE THE PETITE THREATS on social media, from very few Liberians, we think we are now headed in the right direction in which we think that the rule of law is now at work in Liberia. Let’s embrace and keep it growing