MONROVIA – The Inter-Religious Council of Liberia (IRCL) has called for dialogue between the Government of Liberia (GOL), the Council of Patriots (COP), and all political parties in the country.
Report by Lennart Dodoo, [email protected] & Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
The call comes just a few days to the December 30 protest dubbed, “Weah Step Down” initiated by the COP.
Not Read for Negotiation
However, in one of his Facebook live broadcast sessions, Mr. Henry Costa, lead campaigner of the protest said that the Government is not interested in dialoguing with the COP.
“If we would have a dialogue, perhaps it would be over the terms and conditions of how the President leaves,” Costa said. He added that such discussion might focus on whether or not to grant his immunity and other benefits.
He said the government has engaged in several tactics to derail the December 30 Protest.
“They’re not interested in looking at our petition statement; no! they are not looking at any of those things, they’re just trying to see ‘how can we buy Mo Ali or how can we buy Costa, how can we compromise these people, how can we kill the protest. That’s essentially what they are interested in and we are not interested in that. So, the protest is going to happen, the protest would happen and if George Weah is interested in talking to us, he would talk to us when we are in the streets,” Costa said.
He insisted they will remain on the streets on December 30 until President Weah negotiates his exit.
Costa lamented that President Weah has failed to make any public statement or address the nation about the current economic hardship in the country.
Liberia’s Problem Not Religious
Costa noted that the situation faced by Liberians under the Weah-led administration is not religious or political, rather terrible human conditions. He accused religious leaders in Liberia of receiving money from Pres. Weah after a meeting last Thursday “to issue a statement to condemn our protest and to promise him that they are going to reach out to us.”
He specifically mentioned Rev. Kortu Brown who issued a statement and held a press conference calling for a dialogue between the Government and the COP.
Making references to the Holy Quran and the Holy Bible which call for defending and acting justly to the oppressed, he said the Inter-Religious Council and the Liberia Council of Churches are acting unjustly by siding with the President and promising him that they would call the COP to a meeting to compromise the protest which, according to him, is intended to seek justice for the oppressed.
“These religious leaders promised the President that they would issue a statement condemning the protest and that they would preach to their various Mosque and their various churches, telling their congregation to stay away from the protest. These religious leaders are not concerned that their members, whether they are Christians or Muslims are suffering,” he alleged.
He added: “They committed to the President that they would write the COP inviting us to a meeting, I want to say in this public manner, the COP will not honor any meeting with the Council of Churches, the COP will not honor any meeting with the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia. When they present us their letter tomorrow… on the instruction of the President…I want to say to them when they write us tomorrow, whether it’s from the Imams or the Bishops, we will tear their letter – we will publicly tear their letter.”
Permission to Protest Already Denied
Executives of COP claimed that the protest is intended to draw international attention to bad governance, rampant corruption, abuse of power, delay in the payment of civil servants salaries, and the harsh economic constraints that continue to improve the already impoverished conditions of Liberians under the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led-government.
But the Government of Liberia (GOL), through Justice Minister Counselor Frank Musa Dean, has rejected the request made by COP to provide security for the would-be protesters on grounds that their quest is ‘treasonable’ and it has no constitutional backing.
In a communication addressed to Mo Ali, acting Chairman of COP under the signature of Cllr. Dean, the government disclosed that planners of the protest will be held culpable personally, and collectively under the Liberian laws for consequences associated with their actions.
Preserve the Peace
According to Rev. Brown, both government, political actors and others must preserve peace and tranquility in the post-conflict nation.
“The Inter-Religious Council of Liberia calls on the Government of Liberia, and the Council of Patriots (COP) on the one hand, and all political parties on the other hand, to engage, consult and/or dialogue on addressing contending issues confronting the people of Liberia politically, economically and socially amongst others,” he added.
Rev. Brown maintained: “The Council avails itself to working with all parties including the Government and the Council of Patriots to ensure a quiet Christmas and the peaceful reception of the New Year”.
“They committed to the President that they would write the COP inviting us to a meeting, I want to say in this public manner, the COP will not honor any meeting with the Council of Churches, the COP will not honor any meeting with the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia. When they present us their letter tomorrow… on the instruction of the President…I want to say to them when they write us tomorrow, whether it’s from the Imams or the Bishops, we will tear their letter – we will publicly tear their letter.”
– Henry Costa, Member, Council of Patriots, Lead Campaigner for ‘Weah Step Down’ Protest
End of the Year Engagement Initiative
Meanwhile, the IRCL says it has launched an ‘End of the Year Engagement Initiative’ with stakeholders in Liberia.
Rev. Brown disclosed that at an extraordinary meeting, the Council adopted a resolution to engage all stakeholders including government, political parties, chiefs and elders, civil society, the media, civil servants, students’ organizations, Bar Association, as well as women groups, in a bid to preserve peace and tranquility, and advance reconciliation and democracy in Liberia.
According to him, the initiative is intended to help maintain peace and reconciliation, strengthen social and national cohesion, prioritize the needs of civil servants, and support electoral reforms as the country gets prepared for the 2020 Senatorial Election, among others.
He pointed out that political actors and relevant government officials will be engaged to address issues of national concern.
Rev. Brown recalled that the initiative began with a ground-breaking meeting with President Weah and other government officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia on December 5.
“As we address political, economic and social challenges facing the country, the Council contends that all Liberians and political actors must do whatever they can to uphold the constitution of the Republic and support the nascent democracy which was ushered in January 2018 after 74 years of the lack of a democratic transition in Liberia,” he added.
Pres. Weah Must Act
Rev. Kortu K. Brown, has termed as ‘unbearable’ the numerous economic constraints confronting Liberians under the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led-government of President George Manneh Weah.
IRCL is a religious institution comprising of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) and the National Muslim Council of Liberia (NMCL).
The group’s President Rev. Brown pointed out that these economic hardships are being faced mainly by ordinary Liberian citizens.
He made these assertions over the weekend at a news conference held in Brewerville, outside Monrovia.
Rev. Brown maintained that the government should take concrete steps toward addressing these ‘unbearable’ hardships that continue to stifle the betterment of citizens.
He observed that prolong delay by the government to settle salary arrears owed civil servants, the bulk of whom have not taken pay for between three to five months respectively should also be addressed in a timely manner.
“The Council calls on the Government to continue to take steps to addressing the unbearable economic hardships being facing by ordinary Liberians including meeting the salary demands of civil servants,” he stated.
Call for calm
Speaking further, the renowned Liberian Clergyman, who is also the President of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC), urged Liberians to ‘remain calm’ and exercise restrains in public discourses.
He said citizens should peaceably engage one another and others who opposed them, in the spirit of “Christmas and national reconciliation” as the council and others strive towards finding resolutions to the political, economic and social challenges in the society.