Voice of Liberia

MONROVIA, LIBERIA

PRESS RELEASE

August 27th, 2009

The National Executive Committee of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) finds it very saddening that the former Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), who also currently serves as Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption Commission, would find it appropriate to comment publicly about the suitability of any potential candidates in the 2011 election cycle. (See Daily Observer lead Story, August 26, 2009)

The CDC considers this sad event as just one more example of the ethical lapse in the judgment of Madam Johnson-Morris and that her rude utterance against Amb.George M. Weah, Standard Bearer of the CDC comes at a time when the current leadership of NEC has asked all political parties to refrain from activities that could be construed as campaign related in nature.
 
CDC will do its part in respecting the National Election Commission's request. We urge that the NEC uses its statutory mandate to curtail and punish such blatant violation of the electoral code by its former chairman.

Meanwhile the leadership of the party recognizes the fact that as a payback for "services" rendered as Chairman of the National Election Commission during the 2005 Presidential Elections in Liberia, Frances Johnson-Morris has sadly become one of the numerous liabilities of the Sirleaf’s Government. Due to her administrative ineptitude and ineffectiveness she is being dragged from one office to the other at the expense of the Liberian taxpayers. She is one of those political appointees in the current Liberian Government whose permanent status cannot be terminated because she might be harboring some "state secrets".

As the first Justice Minister of the present government, Mrs. Johnson-Morris accused opposition political parties of plotting to overthrow the Government of Liberia by force. When it was realized that she could not present a credible case against some Liberians who were arrested and incarcerated under her watch in connection with her "case", she was quietly removed and appointed as Commerce Minister. The poor man who succeeded her as Justice Minister, had no clue of what to make of this gross miscarriage of justice. He pathetically lost the case when it was finally taken to court for prosecution due to lack of corroboratory eyewitnesses. Did our learned counselor concoct a fictitious case just to impress her boss? The people of Liberia will be the judges to this melodrama of the Johnson-Morris' Justice Ministry.

If Amb. Weah did not understand or meet Johnson-Morris' so-called "elementary tenets of democracy" then why did this presidential puppet called Francis Johnson-Morris certify Weah as a presidential candidate?

 What does she know about what constitutes a presidential material? Does she understand the Liberian constitution? Or is she just trying to underline her support for some members of the current regime who raised funds to kill the Liberian people? Is her understanding of a qualified presidential material tantamount to corruption running amok with no accountability and no one taking responsibility for this do-as-you-please state of affairs in our government?  

 What miraculous intervention is Francis Johnson-Morris talking about here? Does her miraculous intervention mean her own her administrative ineptitude that has seen her move from one government functionary to another? Is Johnson-Morris talking about the miracle of stealing the Nigerian chief money without budgetary appropriation?

Johnson-Morris also stated that George Weah is not suitable for democratic engagement and he is an imposing dictator. Johnson-Morris must truly be living on another planet without any human experience. So what can be said about her boss President Ellen Johnson who sought to impose her will upon the Liberia people through the use of violence? Probably, supporting the murder of our people and describing the Supreme Court of Liberia decision as “mischievous” are the true meaning of Democracy in the wisdom of the Anti-Corruption Commission boss.  

Unfortunately for Madam Johnson-Morris, Ambassador George M. Weah has never stepped on any citizen's freedom by false charges and false imprisonment. He is indeed a distinguished Liberian political leader with high esteemed credibility and his compatriots are proud of his remarkable accomplishments.  Millions around the world admire and respect him for his talent, discipline and honesty.
 
Infact, while others were plotting to attack the Liberian people by force of arms and destroy our country in the process, Ambassador Weah was being, (as he still is today), an exemplary Liberian, a goodwill Ambassador on the world stage, fighting for humanitarian causes, beneficial to humankind.

Notably, Madam Johnson-Morris has always treated the Ambassador and the CDC with disdain, and we saw how much power she wielded as the head of NEC, and her arbitrary dismissal of the fact that ballots were floating around after the polls had been closed in November of 2005.  We see that the Madam has clearly not gotten over the fact that the people of Liberia did have the audacity to exert their rights when they felt betrayed by her, by taking to the streets to request their votes! By her insult-filled response to a truth she finds hard to bear, we see her serpentine traits coming to fore and she goes into expressing clear and direct malice for the CDC and its Flag Bearer.

The CDC wishes to remind its many partisans and supporters that the leadership of the party is currently working with international partners and honorable members of the National Legislature in ensuring the appropriate clauses are inserted in the draft electoral reform bill which would result into a rudimentary restructuring of the National Elections Commission into a truly neutral body. Patterned after internationally acclaimed best practices which proved successful in Ghana and other emerging democracies, this new law when passed will remove the burdensome influence of the Presidency over the NEC.

Lastly, the CDC wants to use this occasion to express its continued appreciation of the efforts of the international community to assist the Liberian people to transform from a state of social degradation to a more humane society respecting the rights of all our citizens disregarding one's educational status or social background. In this regard, the CDC is insisting that the voting rights of all Liberian citizens who have reached the constitutional voting age be respected that they be allowed to exercise this sacred constitutional right in the upcoming senatorial by-election as the CDC will continue to do its part in respecting the constitution of Liberia.
 

ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL SECRETARIAT OF THE CONGRESS FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (CDC) ON August 27, 2009.

Signed: Acarous M. Gray

             National Deputy Secretary General/CDC

Approved: Lenn Eugene Nagbe

                 National Secretary General/CDC