Monrovia – The Coalition for the establishment of war and economic crimes court in Liberia (CEWAECCL)has called on the outgoing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Government to make the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court a legacy before turning over to the Unity Party in 2024.
CEWAECCL, through its lead campaigner, Adama Dempster wants the CDC to draft a letter to be signed by President George Weah, to form part of his government’s turnover note. The Group called on the international community including United Nations, United States, European Union, ECOWAS and the African Union to assist Liberia with financial and technical support in setting up a War and Economic crimes court in Liberia.
‘Protest not the right way’
The Coalition for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia made the call in response to the threat by key stalwarts of the CDC to stage a pro-war crimes court demonstration at the inaugural ceremony of president-president Joseph Nyumah and vice-president-elect Jeremiah Kpang Koung.
Recently, outgoing Rep. Acarous Moses Gary (District #8, Montserrado County) announced that the CDC will protest at the Inaugural ceremony in January 2024 as a means of calling on the new government to set up the court.
But the group, through its Lead Campaigner Adama Dempster reminded Rep. Gray that if he was sincere about the establishment of the court, then during his 12th– year tenure at the House of Representatives where he rose to be the third highest ranking member (as chairman of the Committee on Executive), was the ideal time to have proffered the bill or resolution for the court to be established.
Before the CDC came to power, the party and its officials – from President George Weah to House Speaker Bhofal Chambers, Rep. Gray, CDC Chairman Mulbah Morlu and Secretary-general Jefferson Koijee advocated for the court. But following their ascendancy, they all reneged on their pledge.
Reminding them of their action, the group said: “The fact that Rep. Gray and Coalition for Democratic Change CDC top officials, including President George Weah, outgoing Speaker Chambers, Chairman Mulbah Morlu, Secretary General Jefferson Koijee are on record for advocating for the establishment of war crimes court, during their days in opposition, but never highlighted same while in leadership, but rather allegedly undermined the resolution that was submitted by other member of the house of representatives.”
The group stated that in the last six years, Rep. Gray served as the third most powerful man in the House of Representatives within the Legislature, and in such a position, nothing could have stopped him from leading the campaign for the court to be established. But “disappointingly” the only single resolution calling for the establishment of the court was presented by the Committee on Claims and Petition chaired by outgoing Rep. Rustonlyn S. Dennis was not signed by Rep. Gray, though over 52 members of that body signed the resolution.
In what campaigners viewed as a major blow to the court’s establishment, Speaker Chamber refused to put the resolution on the floor for legislative discussion and voting. He kept the resolution hostage until the elections that booted them out.
Also, bill calling for the establishment of the court was crafted by the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA), in conjunction with the civil society organization and submitted to the Legislature, but it was not introduced on the floor.
Dempster, who is also the National Secretary General of the Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia and his team say given the latest interest of Rep. Gray and the CDC to see the court established, there are still perfect opportunity to act now by asking Speaker Chamber to put the resolution and the LNBA’s bill on the House’s Floor for immediate action before the Unity Party led-government takes over in January, 2024.
The group believes the level of energy going into a protest at this time is totally unproductive and will not serve any purpose because the failure of Representative Gray and the CDC is counterproductive.
They stressed that the plight of the victims and survivor groups, transitional justice experts and other international groups on the gains made thus far is totally unnecessary and will only delay the ongoing progress being made by war crimes court campaigners to see the court established in Liberia.
