Monrovia- Day after US Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, a Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Africa and co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, issued a statement of concern regarding worsening political conditions in Liberia, government of liberia has responded to US congressman’s statement.

It can be recalled in his statement, Rep. Smith said:

   “Human rights advocates are increasingly alarmed by the deterioration of civil and political rights and the corruption that is occurring in Liberia under President George Weah. 

I am especially concerned by allegations surrounding Monrovia Mayor Jefferson Koijee and the thuggish behavior of the Congress for Democratic Change Security Force he heads,” he said.

   “Credible allegations of serious human and civil rights violations–including attempted murder, rape, unlawful arrest, detention and torture–have been attributed to Mayor Koijee by the International Justice Group, a US-based non-government organization.

“Especially in light of our historic ties to Liberia, the United States Congress will be closely monitoring the mass public demonstration that is scheduled to occur on December 30 in Monrovia, and I call upon the government of Liberia to respect the free speech and assembly rights of Liberian citizens.

Anyone who suppresses these fundamental rights, or engages in ongoing corrupt acts, may very well become subject to targeted Global Magnitsky sanctions,” Representative Chris Smith concluded his piece on Liberia.

But the Government of Liberia through the Information ministry has responded to Rep. Smith’s statement saying, she takes due cognizance of a statement published on your official congressional page which was also widely circulated on both the conventional and social media, reflecting your views on the current state of affairs in Liberia.

The ministry says public comments and positions of important United States officials, particularly members of the U.S. Congress, carry great weight and do directly impact lives and livelihoods; they impact policies; they shift and shape the political landscapes in small countries like ours. In the current geo-political environment, one statement from a U.S congressman can turn tides, negatively or positively, in our emerging democracy.

The public position a U.S. Congressman issues carries a lot of weight. Concomitant with this great power, is an even greater responsibility which bestows the onus on you to ensure that whatever public comments or positions are taken regarding small countries like Liberia are rooted in the truth, and issued with a full and fair comprehension of all of the evidential facts surrounding the political and economic situation we face today. It’s a responsibility that comes with the power. A responsibility that should not and must not be shirked nor treated casually.

Your statement based its premise and conclusions on what you described as  “credible allegations from the IJG, a US based non-governmental organization”. Honorable Congressman, the allegations from the IJG, a group whose leadership and rank are not neutral, objective nor disinterested arbiters in the Liberian polity, a group whose avowed objective is to see the current regime swept from power, cannot be taken at face value by those who want to see Liberia’s fledgling democracy get consolidated. The IJG is headed by many opposition politicians, including its Executive Director Jerome Verdier, a founding member of the now governing party, the Congress for democratic Change (CDC). Mr. Verdier has taken strong, false and sometimes angry positions since his falling out with the CDC; his partisan comments should not form the foundation of the position of a United States Congressman.

Congressman Smith, IJG’s position, which was restated by you, does not reflect the true picture of the state of democracy and governance in Liberia. As a leading U.S. Congressman, we are happy to give you a fuller and more accurate briefing of developments that the new administration, under the leadership of President George M. Weah, has undertaken so that you and other helpful international partners aren’t used to regurgitate the unfounded narrative of the Liberian opposition.

During his inauguration, President Weah pledged to do more to protect civil liberty and other forms of fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the Liberian constitution. So far, he has kept that promise by ensuring that every Liberian has the opportunity to contribute to the national discourse unfettered. We have a thriving and vibrant local media. Political expression, buoyed by the enabling environment, is free and unencumbered.

Since the incumbency of President Weah, there have been three critical elections in Liberia. The opposition won two out of the three, following a heated contestation. All of these elections were described by our bilateral and multi-lateral partners, including the Government of the United States and other vested groups as free and fair.

In June of this year, the authorities provided protection to one of the largest gatherings of opposition politicians and their supporters to freely assemble and petition their government as prescribed by the laws of Liberia, for which the government received international acclaim – including from the U.S.

Since its ascendency, the administration has made no secret of its intentions to run a transparent and open government that’s committed to international laws and conventions. We have done the following, amongst many others, in that regard:

1)      Decriminalized speech offenses by repealing an age-old draconian law that inhibited free expression

2)      Ensured there’s NO political prisoner/prisoner of conscience

3)      Presided over several free and fair local elections, with the ruling party losing to the opposition in two of them – including in the largest county that was previously regarded a stronghold of the ruling party.

4)      Ensured security forces are conscious of citizens’ rights in their approach to civil disobedience/protests

5)      Held consultative meetings with opposition leaders to discuss the way forward for the country

6)      Passed the Local Governance Act that ensures the transfer of some of the powers of the central administration to rural authorities

7)      Passed a law on Domestic Violence that protects the rights of women and children

8)      Ensure tertiary educaton is free at all public universities

9)      Increase the salaries of doctors, nurses and teachers

10)  Entered a program with the International Monetary Fund to help revive the ailing economy the government inherited.

These are just some of the actions amongst a litany that the government had taken to improve the livelihood of its citizenry. But as it is with many democracies, some opposition politicians –including tricksters acting under the guise of political activism – are up in arms in their rancorous attempt to besmirch the image of the government and country, as they prepare for the next election.

Congressman, the Weah-led government has demonstrated its commitment to the protection of the fundamental rights of all its citizens. Even when this government was as young as two months old, opposition politicians who were defeated during the 2017 elections, amassed and demonstrated on the streets of Monrovia. The government performed its duty and protected the protesters and guarded the peace. This has recurred severally and the government has not reneged on its constitutional responsibility on each and every occasion.

Congressman Smith, a quintessential and perhaps indispensable facet of democracy is that the losers would accept the legitimacy of the winner and perform as responsible opposition in the intervening period to the next elections. Sadly, this has not been the case in Liberia. The elite political class that was ousted by President Weah, who still control many of the vestiges of power in the country, many of the apparatuses of the state; the media, the church, the economy, – have yet to respect the popular mandate of the Liberian people. They have continued to undermine not just the regime, but the wellbeing of the entire country to satisfy pecuniary needs. While the President grapples with historical economic problems, they continue to employ devious means to undermine the state, yet, the President stays true to his constitutional responsibilities of peace, security and probity.

What’s different from these previous demonstrations and the proposed actions by the opposition planned for December which you cited in your piece? Sir, this time, the organizers have said that their interest and ultimate objective is not to exercise their constitutional rights to freely assemble, but they have been categorical in their assertion that their objective is to remove a constitutionally elected government from power. While it’s our responsibility as a government to protect the rights of all citizens to freely assemble, we do have a concurrent responsibility to protect and preserve the peace, security and stability of the country.

When so-called peaceful protesters telegraph their intention to “grab the President and drag him through the streets of Monrovia”, you would appreciate the responsibility of the government to forestall such.

The COP has consistently planned to hijack the hard-earned peace by planning nefarious activities around the periods of festivity. One of such attempts, which should have been held in the month of July, around the time of the country’s independence anniversary was rebuked by the U.S. Embassy.

We assure all that the Liberian National Police and other statutory security bodies are the official means by which the government ensures the maintenance of the rule of law. These groups operate with the straightest adherence to their standard operating procedure and international conventions – having been trained by local and international partners. The notion that the government sanctions extrajudicial groups to mete out violence is outrageous, unfounded and untrue. Don’t believe such.

The government extends an open invitation to you and other members of Congress who are longtime friends and advocates of Liberia to visit the country and ascertain for yourselves that the real situation on the ground is a world apart from the fictitious, selfish accounts of the IJG and other defeated opposition elements that have now morphed into psuedo civil society groups.

Additionally, President Weah is dispatching a high-level team to Washington D.C early 2020 to continue engagement with US Government officials aimed at consolidating our relationship – the delegation will seek a meeting with you to discuss Liberia. The information ministry release concluded.