-The move worries House Speaker, Peace Ambassador, Others
By Mark N. Mengonfia –mmenginfia@gmail.com
With just a week to what they promise to be their peaceful showdown, the leadership of the Council of Patriots (COP), organizers of the June 7 protest against the government, has boycotted another dialogue meeting, this time with the leadership of the Legislature.
The COP leadership should have met with the leadership of the Liberian Senate on yesterday as means of negotiation that will lead to the stoppage of the planned June 7 protest, but that meeting was not successful on grounds that they (Liberian Senate) wanted to have the meeting en camera or closed door.
What happened on Thursday, May 30, 2019 at the Liberian Senate was transferred at the right side of the Legislature when a similar invitation was extended to the Council of Patriots, but they failed to show up as expected.
After hours of tarrying for the COP leadership, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Bhofal Chambers reluctantly entered the conference hall of the House of Representatives to address the press.
As he appeared frustrated over the failure of the COP to have showed up, Chambers said they as the people’s representatives thought it wise to navigate in the ongoing dialogue.
Although, they failed to appear as requested by the leadership of the House of Representatives, Dr. chambers said they were not there to carry on any act of repudiation, enunciation.
He said that they were only here to engage their colleagues from COP to see how best they can put aside their quest to protest.
Speaker Chambers at the press conference said that they communicated with the COP on the 28 of May adding that said communication was received on the 29 of May, knowledge by the heads of the group.
“We expected them to have been here by this time, and we have not seen any sign,” Dr. Chambers added.
The Liberian House Speaker used the opportunity to call on every Liberian to remain law abiding at all-time stressing that no person is above the law or below the law.
The expected dialogue should have been attended by the leadership of the Council of Patriots, representation from the Peace Building office, and the Peace Ambassador of Liberia office, but this opportunity was not unused by the COP.
When the Speaker of the House of Representatives was asked if there was any other plan to have them called back for seminal dialogue, they speaker didn’t answer, but was quick to call on members of the media to help with preaching the right massages that will demystify and provide more clearer pieces of information about the ongoing tension in Liberia.
Both Eric Quaqua of the Peace Ambassador Office and Edward Mulbah of Peace Building office advised the planners of the protest to embrace dialogue as a means helping to preserve Liberia’s peace.
He said that while it is true that those who want to protest may have good motives, it was important to have in mind that there could be spoiler who could be against their quest on June 7, 2019.
According to the two, protest is necessary but it was important for the COP to have shown up for the meeting to dialogue.
“We think that our President has made strives to make sure that the peace is kept” Edward Mulbah said.
“We don’t have anything much to say, but to say please for them to come to for us to dialogue” Eric indicated.
As it is now, it is barely 7 days to June 7 much publicized national protest by some Liberians against the government of footballing president of Liberia.
Holding all factors constant and reading from want is written on the walls, the president of Liberia is serious worried by the pronouncement being made by the group of Liberians under the canopy “Council of Patriots”.