LURD Wants More "Spoils of War", Threatens Chairman Bryant


The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia

September 15, 2003

 

Editor's Note: While Liberians are still blaming those who participated in the Ghana Peace Conference for rewarding warring factions for the atrocities the factions have committed in Liberia, LURD -one of the warring factions that benefited from the agreement - wants more jobs and power. The Ghana agreement gave LURD the Ministries of Finance, Justice, Labor, Transport, and State. Besides, LURD was given the Liberia Free Zone Authority; Liberian Telecommunications Corporation, Liberian Produce Marketing Corporation, National Ports Authority, General Service Agency, and the National Investment Commission. For each of these ministries and public corporations, LURD is to provide the head and two deputies. But it seems that LURD wants it all. In its press release entiled: Bryant, Beware, LURD writes: “Bryant’s unilateral decisions influenced by recycled politicians are steering the ship of peace on a collision course - Bryant’s assertion that the armed parties to the conflict shall not be represented in certain aspects of the Transitional Government machinery is suicidal… LURD shall be represented FULLY in every Ministry and Agency - Come What May”
The peace agreement did not give warring factions the authority to appoint assistant ministers. This means that though LURD was given Finance, Justice, Labor, Transport, and State ministries, Chairman Bryant will appoint the assistant ministers at those ministries. In other words, at Kabineh Jan’eh’s Justice ministry, or Supuwood’s Finance ministry, or (MODEL) Dean Wilson’s Foreign ministry, Chairman Bryant will appoint the assistant ministers. The assistant minister is like a secretary to the minister.
Below is LURD’s Press Release:


PRESS STATEMENT
SEPTEMBER 13, 2003

BRYANT, BEWARE

The Accra Peace Pact - negotiated settlement - has been signed and all parties to the conflict are endeavoring to abide by it and make it work to enhance peace and stability in Liberia and the sub-region.

Considering LURD’s initial objective of fostering the growth of peace and democracy in Liberia, we do not intend to engage in any shouting match especially with ECOWAS mediators and other facilitators and stakeholders, we intend to uphold the values of democratization for which we fought Taylor .

It is noteworthy to mention at this point in time that Mr. Bryant - chosen out of the blue -to head Liberia in the interim must work from a position of neutrality and not to compromise the safety and security of Liberians.

Gyude Bryant
On the contrary, Bryant is now engaged actively in acts which have the tendency and propensity to derail the process - Bryant is engaged in semantics to elude the parties that pressurized Taylor into exile - Bryant is taking unilateral decisions without consulting the key components that ushered peace and sent the devil into the deep blue sea.
Bryant beware - If there is no war there is less of a possibility for an attack - Bryant avoid being caught in a quagmire - Liberians do not intend going back to a life of uncertainty.

Bryant’s unilateral decisions influenced by recycled politicians are steering the ship of peace on a collision course - Bryant’s assertion that the armed parties to the conflict shall not be represented in certain aspects of the Transitional Government machinery is suicidal: - LURD views this as an act preconceived and detrimental to the letter of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed:-August 18/2003.

LURD shall be represented FULLY in every Ministry and Agency - Come What May.

Furthermore, in view of financial constraints facing the in-coming National Transitional Government, LURD is proposing a twenty-one (21) man transitional team with 3 representatives from each of the warring parties - LURD, MODEL and GOL, 4 representatives from the 18 political parties, 4 representatives from civil society and 3 representatives from the Chairman-elect and Vice Chairman-elect.

LURD reiterates its undaunted and firm commitment to a peaceful, transparent and smooth transition come October 14, 2003.

Freedom and self-government represent the basis of a nation’s constituency - therefore all parties must tighten their grips on the word PEACE and make it sustainable and durable.

LURD and MODEL have broken Taylor’s cycle of impunity - LURD and MODEL understand the dynamics of the conflict - therefore Mr. Bryant must fully cooperate with the principal actors or else he might be caught in a web. - Bryant: the Politicians are fanning around with their wild fans - It is too soon to allow yourself to be manipulated by these so called Liberian political experts.


Bryant, remember the old adage “Not all gutter rats were born in the gutter and therefore not all gutter rats will die in the gutter.”


The Secretariat/LURD
National Headquarters
Voinjama City, Lofa County
Republic of Liberia