Africa-Press – Liberia. The outgoing administration of President George Weah has been called upon to strengthen its legacy by establishing war and economic crimes courts before turning over to the Unity Party in 2024.
The call, which comes from a civil society coalition advocating for the court, is pleading with the Weah administration to “draft a letter” affirming their support for the court’s establishment, as well as calling on the international community to support the country in that direction.
Adama Dempster, the lead campaigner of the coalition, noted that its position comes as outgoing Rep. Acarous Gray, a key figure within the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, has announced plans to protest on inauguration day, calling for the establishment of the court.
“Especially 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 the same while in leadership, but rather allegedly undermined the resolution that was submitted by other members of the House of Representatives,” Dempster noted.
He added that in the last six years, Gray served as the third most powerful man in the House, and in such a position, nothing could have stopped him from leading the campaign for the court to be established.
Disappointingly, Dempster said, the only single resolution calling for the establishment of the court presented by the Committee on Claims and Petition, chaired by outgoing Rep. Rustonlyn S. Dennis was not signed by Gray, though over 52 members of that body signed the resolution.
“However, Chambers, an astute executive of the Coalition for Democratic Change CDC, refused to put the resolution on the floor for legislative discussion and voting until the elections that booted them out,” Dempster noted.
He said given the latest interest of the Gray to see the court established, there is still a perfect opportunity for Gray and the Coalition for Democratic Change CDC to encourage Chambers to put Dennis’s resolution and the Liberia National Bar Association LNBA bill calling for the establishment of the court on the House’s floor for immediate action before the Unity Party-led government takes over in January 2024.
The lead campaigner 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.
Dempster stressed that the plight of the victims and survivors 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.
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