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'I'm Tired of Taylor's Issue' - Ellen Tells Journalists

The NEWS (Monrovia)
NEWS
January 29, 2006
Posted to the web January 30, 2006

By Bobby Tapson
Monrovia
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has told members of the Liberian media that she
is tired of the development regarding former Liberian President, Charles
Taylor. The President said though she was not frustrated over the issue of Mr.
Taylor, however, she was simply wearied over the matter.
"I keep answering this question concerning Mr. Taylor and it keeps coming up,"
President Sirleaf's comment was in response to a question raised by journalists
at her first press conference held in the Parlors of the Executive Mansion last
Friday.
The statement by the Liberian Leader followed reports that the trial of Mr.
Taylor in neighboring Sierra Leone is imminent. International human rights
organizations have requested the Nigerian government to turn over Mr. Taylor
for trial. But Nigeria's President Obasanjo has maintained that he would turn
Mr. Taylor over only to an elected government. The former Liberian Leader has
been indicted on 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He has
been accused of allegedly supporting rebels of the Revolutionary United Front
(RUF) of Sierra Leone.
President Johnson Sirleaf said the issue of Mr. Taylor was an international
one, which does not rest on Liberia alone.
"I spoke with President Obasanjo, who is one of the key players in the Taylor
issue at the last AU Meeting."
She reiterated that there are great tasks ahead in terms of reconstructing war-
ravaged Liberia.
She told newsmen that the trial of Mr. Taylor was secondary and should not
back-track the government's attention and energies from national reconstruction
and development.
Further, Madam Sirleaf has restated one of her inaugural promises to the
Liberian people and the world at large that her government will include members
of opposition parties which has partly been fulfilled.
The Liberian Leader told the press that such appointments would certainly be
based on set standards as competence, integrity and clean human rights records.
Already, Mrs. Sirleaf has started appointing some members of the opposition in
her cabinet. They include Dr. Joseph Korto of the Liberia Action Party,
Minister of Education; Jackson E. Doe of the National Democratic Party of
Liberia, Minister of Post and Telecommunications and Dr. Marcus Dahn, Chairman
of the United People's Party as Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.
The President indicated that while she commits herself to including all
political parties in her government, not all-political parties would be given
cabinet posts.
The Chief Executive assured that her appointments would reflect political,
religious and ethnic balance.
Additionally, President Sirleaf revealed that five countries have expressed
concerns about the Liberian passports because too many criminals were in
possession of them.
She did not say what measures were being put in place by her government to
protect the Liberian passports from being in the hands of criminals. But noted
that the present situation of the passports did give rise to the appointment of
a security personnel as Director of Passports in that she was now a part of the
security network.

   

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