Emerging Historical Paradigm of Liberia's Political Failures
By Chorphie Charlie
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
March 18, 2004
Let me first express profound appreciation to the capable hands piloting
this website. So far, the news journey has not only been an enjoyable
one but also very informative and educational, please keep up the good
work for Liberia.
I read an article, “Liberians Want 4- Year Presidential Term”
and wobbled to the fact that of all the serious social, political and
economy problems currently facing our nation we would again be making
the presidency a mantra for democrat ic consciousness. The article was
penned by Mr. Abraham Massaley, the presiding chairperson for the Movement
for Democratic Reform in Liberia (MPR). However, upon reading, a second
piece related to giving ex-combatants seventy-five dollars, I have since
been trying to find the time to pen this response. You will understand
the delay due to the social constraints of this our American capitalism,
as we attempt to perfect ourselves as instruments of labor.
This is no beef with Mr. Massaley. The intent here is to challenge our
political consciousness, especially for those who continue to champion
the cause/s of our suffering people. The question here is whether we
as Liberians are serious about democratic reformation. If so, this means
we must be willing and tolerant enough to accept the kind of criticism
that we have also showered upon others. Thus, without holding back,
I am under serious conviction to scrutinize anyone, especially during
our disquieting national journeys where military aggression has blotched
our political landscape. We can no longer afford the complacency of
yesterday's fathers, mothers, big brothers, big sisters, uncles, aunts,
other relatives and friends, where the misguided, mis-educated, dishonest,
sycophants, hypocrites, yes-ups, opportunists, and ruthless few were
given the task of nation building.
Mr. Massaley, in his first piece echoed views from a convention of Liberians
in the great city of Philadelphia. According to his article, the convention
concluded with a firm position by those present to pattern a new presidential
tenure, similar to that of the pre-S.K. Doe era, which they believed
would create the necessary conditions for a better Liberian society.
In the second piece, the honorary man hinted that providing minimum
stipend for ex-combatants will ease the burden of renewed military hostilities.
I was shocked and bewildered by this mind boggling political resolution
by the Movement for Political Reform in Liberia (MPR). Immediately,
I formulated a hypothesis holding that such wild card by MPR was an
instrument of political cunning. This is a complete hogwash and a total
disappointment to the purported ideas of this organization, reformation
of Liberian politics. It appears, to me, that the organization is a
political nursery gearing up political capital to become a so-called
relevant player in the orgy of political masturbation in Liberia. By
this, I mean that behind this veil of political reformation stands a
chance to participate in the looting and fleecing of Liberia's misery
by some other agent of presidential ambition. We cannot afford this
kind of false political consciousness.
Politics should be about ideas and hope, and not sensation. For me,
the calls by MPR intents to sensationalize their political relevance
lacking positive hope for our nation building process. Thus, they opted
to punch issues that might raise heated national dialogue without offering
substantive cause and effect on the democratic process. Presidential
tenure has never been and is neither the cause/s of Liberia's historical
and current political failures. Hence, instead of unwinding past disappointing
publicity stunt, Mr. Massaley should concentrate his efforts on institutional
reformation of the Liberia's democratic system, like the organization
name states, Movement for Political Reform. This will require civil
education for our people to understand the role of government and the
separation of powers. Accordingly, instead of focusing on, and encouraging
an imperial presidency, our people are educated to the workings of government,
and in this way they are able to exercise their constitutional and GOD
given right of ensuring that the presidency is held accountable to the
people.
Regarding the ex-combatants, MPR should be mobilizing efforts to appeal
for assistance to provide necessary training and man-power development
for the former fighters, and design programs, which will address the
social and cultural needs of those fighters. That instead of giving
seventy-five dollars to those fighters, an amount that will evaporate
in minutes without any positive effect on the social development of
the nation. We need to face reality by instructing or schooling our
brothers concerning the need to behave as patriots, especially those
who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation by shedding their
blood [bleeding].
Literally speaking, we should not be advocating tenure-ship of the presidency
or monetary rewards to those fighters for negative behavior, as we have
done to their masters, the warlords. This kind of thinking and advocacy
on the part of MPR speaks to the decadent intellectualizing facing of
national sojourn. Some of us see such thinking and advocacy on the part
of MPR as intellectual suicide. That is, by misplacing our national
priority and advocating for the wrong thing, this in time to come will
negatively stimulate the irrelevancy of the Movement.
This misplaced and misguided sensationalism of extraneous political
issues is an ugly historical failure attempting to re-emerge. We must
demand change. The crucial issues now affecting our national psyche
is economic security, which entails focus on the electoral process to
galvanize the necessary human resources needed to redeem our national
sanity, not presidential tenure-ship or monetary rewards for ex-combatants.
Lets us begin to think critically…….
Thanks for the space.
About the Author: Mr. Chorphie Charlie is a social and political critic who resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
