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Pres.
Sirleaf is not leading by example
Monday,
February 05, 2007
By Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh
Most
Liberians knew it would happen, but did not know when
chaos would hit the heart of the Liberian government
at a time when the world watches every move made by
the leaders, and every utterance that spilled out of
their mouths.
And when chaos finally hit home; Liberians knew
it was just a matter of time for those guys who called
themselves members of the House of Representatives to
show their true colors to a nation that needs
cooperation and sound policies to move forward.
However, when majority of the individuals who
occupied the Legislative branch of government over
there have no clue about the job they were elected to,
nor do they understand the workings and the separation
of the branches of government in decision-making, then
we know we are in trouble.
It has been quite a week and a month to
remember.
We saw drama unfold before our naked eyes, and saw
contempt and disrespect of the judiciary from the
executive and legislative branches of government.
We also saw incompetence, as acrimony and
childishness reminds us of the day of old when the
country’s dictatorial presidents ruled over a
country they saw as their kingdom – their personal
farm or house, while a spineless and rubber-stamped
Legislature danced with the music of the day that came
out of the Executive Mansion.
The difference between then and now is the
endless talk of hope and a new day that promises to be
humane, people-friendly and nationalistic – one that
put the people’s interest over the selfish interests
of the occupants of the branches of government.
It is one national embarrassment after another.
If it is not the actions of a don’t care president
who sees herself as this no-nonsense, arrogant,
know-it-all traveling matriarch with a management
style that favors political loyalty over competence,
then it is the individuals who called themselves
lawmakers, who themselves sprung from the ashes of the
civil war where savagery, mayhem and the gangster
mentality took center stage, while civility and
interpersonal skills were last on the totem pole.
And instead of taking the time after they were
elected to study legislation and the operation of
government, civility, interpersonal skills and the act
of compromise to get laws passed, the law breakers
went wild like children in the candy store who just
don’t know how to behave once the candy has been
spotted, and don’t understand how bad their actions
embarrassed their parents.
The urbane president and Harvard grad Sirleaf,
who it is believed knows and understands government,
and is seen as the hope for democracy and the rule of
law in Liberia for now, also failed to demonstrate to
all that she’s above lawlessness.
And like those lawbreakers who showed contempt
for the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling to reinstate
Speaker Snowe after he was overthrown without any due
process, President Sirleaf also showed contempt for
the court when she traveled to Virginia against the
wishes of a court that ruled against the idea of the
president addressing the nation there. The court rule
that the ceremony takes place at the historic
Centennial Pavilion.
The renegade legislators led by the fugitive
Ketterkumehn Earl Murray, had a lot to say about their
embattled Speaker, and believed they were right to
oust him.
However, the Liberian people expected their
president to show neutrality in this very sensitive
matter; and if she could, they expected her to use her
influence to help end the constitutional crisis that
came close to paralyzing the nation, and hoped she
would not join one group to further divide the
country.
As a result of their reasoning, the group
affirmed one location and denied the other, and took
along with them a president who was willing to put her
name and prestige on the line to play into the
national confusion.
President Sirleaf took the unpopular route of
Mr. Murray and his like-minded friends to divide the
nation. And as usual, she believed she did the right
thing by going to Virginia to speak, even against the
wishes of the Supreme Court of the land.
By doing what she did, Ms. Sirleaf joined a
long list of former Liberian presidents who also
ignored the rulings of the Supreme Court by using
strong-arm tactics to undermine the constitution.
Leadership is a tough act, and decision-making,
which is part of leadership, carries with it certain
responsibilities that must be cherished to have a
perfect match. Whether it is wooing foreign investors
to do business in the country, or inviting the
President of China for a visit, Ms. Sirleaf must lead
on all fronts and not on a selective basis. The
president made a blunder and did not show leadership
during the crisis. She must now answer to the Liberian
people because she did not lead by example.
President Sirleaf and her allies cannot
continue to undermine the Supreme Court and the laws
of the land to satisfy their selfish political
interests; yet expect Liberians to be law-abiding.
If the citizens of the country are expected to
respect the laws of the land, the president, who is
not above the law, must also do the same.
So far, this president has shown she’s like
her predecessors. If that’s the case, why then is
this talk about democracy and the rule of law in
Liberia under Ellen Johnson Sirleaf?
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