FROM THE OFFICE OF CLLR. CHARLES W. BRUMSKINE
MONROVIA, MARCH 6, 2003: We have come into possession of a copy of the "Security assessment Report of the ECOWAS Military Mission to Liberia", which the National Chronicle Newspaper is sadly using as an excuse to continue the Government's unfounded and baseless allegation against Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine as a supporter of the rebel group LURD.
It should be noted from the onset that we have not yet established the authenticity of the Report. But, notwithstanding the fact that the Report is said to have been prepared in June 2002, the Chronicle has only now been allowed a copy from its sources in government, at a time when Cllr. Brumskine appears to be the front-runner in the Presidential race. Of course, the Chronicle would have done its reading public a great service by publishing the entire Report. Instead, the Chronicle published only selected portions of the Report to provoke the unsuspecting reader to form a negative opinion of Cllr. Brumskine.
The Scope of the Report covered eight (8) sections:(a) Meetings with Government Officials, (b) Areas Toured, (c) Interaction with U.N. Agencies/Civil Society Organizations, (d) Tasks, (e) Findings, (f) Assessment, (g) Conclusion, (h) Recommendations.
Obviously, the portion of the Report, "Possible Sources of support to the Rebels", in which Cllr.Brumskine is mentioned was an allegation the ECOWAS Team obtained from the Government of Liberia. Paragraph #5 of the Report states that, "Apart from meeting government officials, contacts were made with some stakeholders, agencies, organizations, parties and individuals which facilitated the work of the Team, ..." Government officials were the only source of information for the Report. Interestingly, paragraph#24, as published by the Chronicle, indicates that, "The rebels enjoy support from some exiled politicians who are dissatisfied with Charles Taylor winning the 1997 elections. ..." Paragraph #25 provides that, "The exiled politicians identified to be supporting the LURD include ... Charles Brumskine ..."
Would any reasonable person claim that Cllr. Brumskine was "dissatisfied with Charles Taylor winning the 1997elections?" Of course, not! Therefore, identifying Cllr. Brumskine as one of such exiled politicians that would support LURD is the work of evil men. Certainly, the detractors of Cllr. Brumskine did not think carefully in putting together the negative campaign, as demonstrated by the blatant inconsistency in the Report.
Nowhere in the Report is it suggested that the ECOWAS Team conducted an independent investigation to verify the government's allegation. Equally important is the fact that recourse to the Report will show that nowhere in the "Findings", "Conclusion" and/or" Recommendations" of the Report is Cllr. Brumskine mentioned. This confirms that the allegation of Cllr.Brumskine being a supporter of LURD was neither the
finding nor Conclusion of the ECOWAS Team, but a mere allegation obtained from the Government of Liberia.
Now, from where did the Government get its information, the basis of the continuous allegation? The public will recall that during the latter part of 2001, an official of government alleged that he saw Cllr. Brumskine in the U.S. raising funds to support LURD. As baseless and unfounded as the assertion was, that is how the allegation got started.
The fact remains that Cllr. Brumskine is a man of peace, as is expressed through his deep religious beliefs. He is opposed to violence as a matter of principle, and is an avowed constitutionalist, determined to conduct his affairs in keeping with the laws of the land.
Cllr. Brumskine remains committed to effecting political change in Liberia through the democratic electoral process, and would do nothing, whether by commission or omission to thwart the hope of the Liberian people.
K. A. Kamara
Director of Communications
Office of Charles Walker Brumskine
Liberia Unification Party
Inquiries: (011)(37747) 522334/552081
