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| ‘No Apology’ -Sieh Replies ‘Disorientated’ Politicians |
| Published on February 04, 2010 | Email To Friend Print Version
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Deputy Information Minister for Administration Cletus Sieh says President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf owes no apology to anyone for declaring her 2nd term intent at the National Legislature.
Minister Sieh said those calling for the President’s apology in connection with her statement at the National Legislature were “political babies” suffering from “political brain damage”.
“What has she done to apologize? The President has done nothing! There is no reason for her to apologize," Minister Sieh said—responding to Monday’s criticism by Liberty Party political leader Charles Brumskine that the government of President Sirleaf has done nothing in four years and Tuesday’s call by opposition lawmakers that the President should apologize to the National Legislature for “insulting” comments made she addressed them last Monday.
Cllr. Brumskine, addressing a lecture series at the University of Liberia Monday said the Government of President Sirleaf has performed “very poorly” in four years because its ideas of governance are “imported” and that its poverty reduction was “poverty increasing strategy”.
The opposition lawmakers, headed by Bong County Rep George Mulbah, argued that the President insinuated that they are “irresponsible” for setting the threshold (number of persons that constitute an electoral constituency) at 40,000, and demanded an “unconditional apology”.
Incessant political and constitutional debates have engulfed the country since the President delivered her 5th State of the Nation Address to the joint session of the 52nd Legislature on Monday, January 25, 2010, during which she declared her 2nd term bid for the presidency.
One group, especially supporters of the administration, has described the President’s declaration of intent as no violation of the Liberian Constitution, and argued it is the president’s right to declare her intent anywhere and at any official function she wishes.
But the other group, especially from opposition political camps including Liberty Party, Congress for Democratic Change and the National Patriotic Party have censured the President’s action, describing it is both ‘constitutionally’ and ‘morally’ wrong.
Article 58 of the Liberian Constitution provides that: “The President shall, on the 4th working Monday in January each year, provides the administration’s legislative program for the ensuing session, and shall once a year report to the Legislature on the state of the Republic. In presenting the economic condition of the Republic the report shall cover expenditure as well as income.”
The provision (and none other in the Constitution) does not give right to or bars the President from declaring her intention for the presidency.
However, reacting to Brumskine and the opposition lawmakers Tuesday, Minister Sieh said “President Sirleaf has done no wrong or breached the organic law of the state”.
“The President was not wrong; she did not err…and if she was called 1,500 times she would repeat the statement,” Minister Sieh said.
Critics including Liberty Party Chair Israel Akinsaya and CDC junior senator Geraldine Doe Sheriff said thought the President has the constitutional right to declare her intent for second term, she did it at the wrong forum.
But Minister Sieh differs: “The Capitol Building is the theater of politics; there are politicians who represent 3.5 million people all over the country. That was the right forum—that was the right place for the President to make such statement.”
The opposition lawmakers said the President’s declaration of intent at the Capitol “desecrated the sacred chamber of the legislature”.
Minister Sieh said he does not understand why the politicians were leaving the 80-page document of the President’s annual address, but focusing on one statement: “I will be a candidate; I will be a formidable candidate in the 2011 elections.”
“If they will only focus on that single statement and fail to scrutinize the 80-page document, then you can see the political brain damage,” the Deputy Minister himself from an opposition camp—Liberian Unification Party—forming merger with the ruling Unity Party, said.
“They should be scrutinizing that document and finding faults, if there are any, instead of crying babies around here, and that’s why I said they are suffering from political brain damage.
He continues: “I feel very sorry for them…that their brains have become disorientated by the President’s pronouncement, but we can’t apologize, because we owe the no apology.”
Singling out Cllr. Brumskine’s comment on the poverty reduction strategy (PRS) which the LP leader described as “poverty increasing strategy”, Minister Sieh said it appears that the learnt lawyer “lives on another planet”.
Liberia’s PRS, otherwise known as “Lift Liberia” is the government’s development agenda. It articulates the government’s overall vision and major strategies for moving toward rapid, inclusive and sustainable growth and development during the period 2008-2011.
“Cllr. Brumskine himself has immensely benefitted from the PRS,” Minister Sieh asserted, adding, “He lives on the SKD Boulevard, the road that was dusty to the extent that he had to wash his car at least two times a day. That road has been paved and Cllr. Brumskine is a proud user of the road, but he says the PRS is not working.”
“I think he lives on another planet,” Minister Sieh who and Brumskine were once members of the same party –LUP – said.
The deputy government’s spokesman said, however, the Liberian people know what their government has done in restoring the country’s credibility, rehabilitating roads and many other initiatives from which Brumskine is benefitting.
On the path to 2011, Minister Sieh said the opposition was already in disarray after the President declared her intent to seek reelection.
Despite news of new political party in the making and the planned collaboration of existing ones to counter the ruling party, the Minister said there would be no force to overwhelm their (LAP-LUP-UP) merger.
“The opposition is not a formidable force. They are splinter groups, divided among themselves; we are the formidable force,” the LUP executive said.
The Deputy Information Minister said no opposition politician will capture power until 2018, when President Sirleaf completes her second term, which announcement has invited a hot political atmosphere in the country.
“They will have to wait until 2018, before clinging unto state power because it is a foregone conclusion that President Sirleaf will be elected 2011.” D K Sengbeh writes; 06 586 531, editoratinformer@yahoo.com
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