Monrovia – A delegation of officials of the Liberian Council of Churches has had a meeting with the Speaker of the 54th National Legislature, House Speaker, Dr. Bhofal Chambers, expressing their concerns about the delay of the pending Senatorial by-elections, the progress of the TRC report and the constitutionally envisaged National Census.
The Rev, Dr. Kortu Brown, head of the Council’s delegation, told Speaker Chambers that they have sought his audience as part of their efforts in engaging government constructively, as it strives to meet and grapple with huge national and constitutional compliance obligations.
Rev. Brown, however, assured the Speaker of the Council’s willingness to keep a close working relationship with the government of Liberia as the Council looks to see a better and unified Liberia following the conduct of an intense electoral process last year.
During the meeting, House Speaker Bhofal Chambers told the Liberia Council of Churches visiting delegation, that the senatorial by-election would go ahead. The Speaker lamented that the Senatorial by-election process got delay due to some technical and pressing challenges.
Speaker Chambers further told the clergymen that the National Legislature will work with the Executive Branch of government in making the realization of the National Census attainable in the time frame as provided by law.
On account of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) reports implementation, Speaker Chambers says he believes there were more lies than truth telling during the hearing process of the TRC. He says most war actors and persons who bear greater responsibilities for crimes committed in Liberia during the civil upheaval did not say much about the extent of atrocities they committed.
Speaker Chambers, however, intoned that it’s about time that the country looks forward to adopting a roadmap to attaining restorative justice as compare to retributive justice.
The Speaker averred that it’s been several years now since the war ended in Liberia, and Liberians are yelling for more infrastructure developments and economic emancipation. The Speaker says restorative justice also heals wounds inasmuch as truth-telling is the hallmark.
Meanwhile, restorative justice has been defined as a legal system of criminal justice that deals with the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the society, whilst retributive justice is a system of criminal justice based on the punishment of offenders rather than on rehabilitation.