[allAfrica.com] [celtel.com] Peace Process Rocks: LURD Pushes For Review, Says Bryant is Incompetent The Analyst (Monrovia) NEWS June 18, 2004 Posted to the web June 18, 2004 By Bill K. Jarkloh The Liberian peace process is experiencing complications and hazards in the hands of the premier warring faction, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), which recently suspended its Chairman, Sekou Damante' Conneh. But what does the faction hopes to achieve, a contributing investigator, Bill K. Jarkloh looks at the complications: According to one of the Acting leaderships of LURD, former spokesman Charles Bennie, LURD wants the peace process reviewed in the face of what he calls the incompetence exhibited by the Bryant-led transitional leadership. This transitional government has three mandates, namely to restore security to Liberia, to restore social services and to conduct free and fair elections," Mr. Bennie noted. He said Mr. Bryant is yet to prove himself capable of living up to the task. "Since our arrival and the induction of the NTGL, the only difference is that guns are not firing in Monrovia. There hasn't been the restoration of social services," Mr. Bennie, Commissioner of Customs intimated. That was not the only concern he expressed, he noted that Chairman Bryant has a candidate that is projecting over others who desire to participate in the elections. "How can a man who is supposed to conduct a free and fair election supports and projects a candidate amongst several other aspirants," Mr. Bennie questioned. He told reporters that the present system that Bryant is leading shows no change different from the one we fought against, and therefore the peace process must be reviewed by all parties." He was critical on the refusal of Chairman Bryant to remove Minister Kamara from Finance on the request of LURD, saying that there are more economic and financial lapses that need to be corrected in the system. He pointed out that the refusal by Chairman Bryant to honor LURD's request for the removal of Finance Minister reads negatively on the peace process. "You guys should not be fooled. This country has not disarmed. LURD has not disarmed, former GOL has not disarmed and MODEL has not disarmed. Just a few of the men are disarmed, and for one to play on the nerves of the factions is dangerous," he noted. "Bryant has his passport in his pocket and if these boys start firing, he would run from here," he observed. He said this was the message of LURD to the international community. "We met with President Lassana Conte' of Guinea and he shared our view on revision of the peace process; we met with President John Kouffour of Ghana and put similar case forward. The Ghanaian leader assure us that he would consult his colleagues for redress to our grievances," Mr. Bennie said. The present in-fighting in LURD which is the basis for LURD's call for the review of the peace process is centered on the nomination of Soko V. Sackor to replace Finance Minister Lusinee Kamara and the refusal by the Transitional Chairman, Charles Gyude Bryant to honor the replacement call by LURD Executive members of the Finance Minister. LURD's National Executive Committee was calling for the replacement of Mr. Sekou Demante Conneh as Chairman of that faction for fomenting confusion within LURD, and at the same time wanting Finance Minister, Lusinee Kamara replaced on ground that he is not accountable and transparent in his transaction as Minister of Finance. Calls for the removal of Mr. Conneh and Minister Kamara emanated from the LURD Military High Command. A founding member and stalwart of the LURD Military High Command, Brigadier General Philip Kamara holds that the refusal by the Transitional Government to replace Finance Minister Lusinee Kamara may impact negatively on the DDRR. The LURD general also said the indefinite suspension of LURD Chairman Conneh has the backing of the military because Mr. Conneh has exhibited a character that depicts that he is not a man to rely on. "The decision to remove Mr. Conneh is because of his character. As a leader, Sekou Conneh should respect his comments and his signature, but his failure to respect his signature in a letter he wrote to the Chairman concerning the replacement of Finance Minister Lusinee Kamara is a good ground for his indefinite suspension," Gen. Kamara, the Chief of Logistics of the LURD forces and Senior Coordinator at the National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (NCDDRR) told this writer at a local hotel in Monrovia. It can be recalled that LURD NEC wrote to Chairman Bryant two letters calling for the replacement of Finance Minister Kamara. One of the letters was written on April 4, 2004 and signed by Acting Chairman Chayee Doe (now deceased) and the other written on April 15 was reportedly signed by the embattled LURD Chairman Conneh. With Chairman Bryant dishonoring the calls for the Finance Minister's replacement, Mr. Conneh lately denounced the signature. "I will not be a part of anything that would endanger the peace process. I never write such a letter to Chairman Bryant," he told the State radio, ELBC. Apparently, this denial led the National Executive Committee to have suspended him for time in definite. Although he was suspended recently, he strongly reacted that he was never suspended, and that he will deal with Justice Minister, Kabineh Ja'neh and Cabinet Director Soko V. Sackor, all of whom he accused of causing confusion in LURD. However, General Kamara warned the suspended chairman not to resist his suspension as it will not mean well for the peace process. "Sekou Conneh is not the first Chairman removed from office; the first was Mohammed Jomanday who was removed from office without argument," he recounted The LURD General noted that Jomanday spent more than US$500,000 personally to sponsor some of the activities of LURD, and added that yet he did not complain or argue when the National Executive Committee removed him from office as Chairman of LURD. Jomanday is presently in his private life. He is managing the European African Construction Company in Monrovia. "We've been behind Sekou to remove Lusinee from the Finance Ministry because the Finance Minister is not a member of LURD," Gen. Kamara justified. Besides, he said there are reports that he is committing administrative and professional misconduct in managing the nation's economy at the Finance Ministry and argued that this misconduct is reflecting on LURD as the nominating party from whose blessing he is enjoying. Giving further reasons for the demand by LURD, the LURD general pointed out how LURD executives and brass have agreed that the Finance Minister position is exclusively for Aicha Conneh to nominate a candidate. "But Madam Conneh wanted Sekou himself to occupy the position as her husband. It was notwithstanding unfortunate and surprising to LURD executives and military brass that Sekou nominated his brother-in-law Lusinee," he narrated. He alleged that both Sekou and Minister Kamara have agreed amongst themselves that the latter would pay a royalty of US$300,000 monthly to Sekou. Neither Minister Kamara nor Sekou are in the country to comment on this latest allegation. As a consequence, Gen. Kamara noted that Sekou neglected the fighting forces not until when the NEC on demands of the LURD Military High Command called for his removal from the LURD chairmanship when he started to bribe some men in the bushes to cause mutiny. The general said one Advisor Dukuly whom he noted is a diamond dealer for Mr. Conneh is now confusing the situation by making radio statements against the action of the LURD executives. "Advisor Dukuly claimed to be a brigadier general, but he actually is a civilian," he said. He warned Advisor Dukuly and Joe Gbala not to confuse the public, but instead to respect the view of the LURD NEC, which he noted is the final decision making organ of the faction. With the row over the replacement saga of the Finance, observers hold that it will be a prudent decision for the Finance Minister to resign so that the nation will not perish for the sake of one person. Equal Rights Party Clarifies The Liberian Equal Rights Party has clarified that Mr. Armaso Bawn is a bonafide partisan of the LERP and that he can contest any position whatsoever, including the standard-bearership during the party's convention that is to be held shortly. The party in a release said its clarification is in reference to the Monday May 17, 2004 publication of The Analyst Newspaper entitled "Bawn Is Not Our Candidate," which quotes the Executive Committee of the Liberian Equal Rights Party. The Executive Committee of the LERP has clarified that Mr. Bawn's membership is genuine as far as the Party is concerned. Mr. Bawn who is the President of the Liberian Community in Georgia, the United States was reported to have been tipped by the Liberia Equal Rights Party as its standard bearer in the 2005 general and presidential elections. The statement quoted the party's Vice Chairman, Mr. Solomon Williams as confirming as their candidate in the 2005 general and presidential elections. But the Executive Committee later refuted the information, saying Mr. Bawn was not even a complete member of the party. It is now being clarified that the presidential hopeful has met all of the criteria set by the party and his eligible to vie for any position within the party, including that of standard-bearer.   =============================================================================   Copyright © 2004 The Analyst. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). =============================================================================