By Moses M. Tokpah,mosesmtokpah@gmail.com
KAKATA, Liberia- Though he has lauded President Weah for writing “the people’s Representatives” (the National Legislature) on establishing the War and Economic Crimes Court, the President of the Liberia National Bar Association, Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe says the Liberian leader must go further than this.
“If President George Manneh Weah does not act on what the Liberian people have proffered (the establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court) then he is not a democratic government,” the prominent Liberian lawyer said here over the weekend.
Cllr. Gongloe told Reporter in Kakata that the youths have spoken through the Civil Society groups while the middle age people have spoken through the Economic Dialogue, the dialogue he noted also called for the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court.
He furthered that the elders of the Country have spoken with a resolution released in Monrovia recently by Liberian traditional leaders.
‘Nobody is left and if the president does not act then he is not a democratic government because a democratic government has to respond to the wishes and aspirations of the people who elected the government,’ said the Bar Association’s President.
According to him, the people have spoken and the President has no will but to comply with what they have said.
Cllr. Gongloe has at the same time expressed delight over call from the Economic Dialogue for the establishment of the War and Economic crimes Court in the Country.
Cllr. Gongloe told www.newspublictrust.com that the Bar is very excited on grounds that since his election as President of the Association his administration has been emphasizing on the issue of accountability.
He recounted that during their 2019 general assembly, the Bar took a historic decision in Kakata where out of 94 Lawyers who attended the assembly, 86 voted for the establishment of an extraordinary Court for War and Economic crimes with 4 voting against and 4 abstaining.
With this, Cllr. Gongloe has described Kakata as being important in the process. He said it is again in Kakata that the head of the Traditional Council, Chief Zarzar Korwar informed the Bar that the Chiefs and Elders from across the Country met in Monrovia and voted for the full implementation of the TRC recommendations, especially the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court.
The Liberian Lawyer however said he has no doubt about the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court.
His reason for this is that Liberia does not have a monarchy or military government adding that the decision of the people is what the president of a Country should go by in a democratic Country.