November 15, 2017
Citizens Bureau for Development and Productivity / Liberia National Police
Press-Release
The ongoing case regarding the elections’ dispute between the Liberty Party as complainant vs. the National Elections Commission should be regarded as a crucial issue at this point in time for we will want a peaceful transition which cannot be delivered in the midst of many fraudulent complaints according to the Liberty Party and others; therefore, considering time factor it must be attended as quickly as possible, so as to make way for the transition itself to be delivered in January 2018, as constitutionally mandated.
Realistically speaking there is a critical issue we will have to look at during this hearing. We have to base our judgments on facts for accountability sake. For example, we have come to note that the failure of not publishing a final registration roll listing where the exhibited registered roll placed at various polling places witnessed so much outcry of people not seeing their names on the listing was the first mistake resulting to all of these claims today.
The current concern of many people is the delay tactics being used by some politicians to have their cases heard, when of course prior to these cases, publishing the final registered roll of voters was not given attention bringing us to be confronted with time, for which if the voters’ registry was published would have save time during the hearing of the case.
Being engaged with Community Justice Initiative in Liberia, the Citizens Bureau for Development and Productivity holds on to the view that resolutions of disputes through the formal court of law is the essence of the Judicial branch of government which must be upheld and must not be undermined by those trusted to lead the process or any body.
Expressed from Liberians from various walks of life, our formal justice system to include police, court and the general consuming public is characterized with bribery as reflected in the saying that “No money, No justice for the poor” something which is being continued in our formal Justice System.
Truly, most people don’t have the money, time and legal know-how in navigating the formal justice system in Liberia. Most people will prefer Alternative Dispute Resolution/Mediation or wave their cases depending on the individual limitation. The lack of affordability, accessibility and the time consuming factor of the formal justice system are characteristics which totally contradict the very essence of its relevance, as such much work is needed to be done if justice is to be realized through our formal justice system, to include the police and the court.
That said, in the case of the ongoing election disputes, it is with the parties involved to exhaust the legal process so that Justice will put to rest the elections’ saga, as opposed to reaching a compromised without the facts being established.
Hint: Citizenship is not about your right only, but your responsibility to others, community and country…#ObamaFoundationSummit
Thanks,
John Kamma
Executive Director
About Citizens Bureau
Toward a just and a fair Liberian society, the Citizens Bureau for Development and Productivity (with origin from the Restructuring and Reform exercises of the New Liberia National Police, with no formal connection to the Liberia National Police), has as its Mission: “To eradicate poverty, promote Police-citizens relation and Mediation in Liberia”. Since 2013 we have embarked upon community Justice Initiative aimed at advancing the needs for justice and fairness amongst community residents and all Liberians. The goal is to resolve conflict in a fair and just manner deemed satisfactory to the parties in a country where most people cannot afford to settle disputes through the formal justice system.
