October 15, 2003

On yesterday, Mr. Gyude Bryant was inaugurated in Monrovia to head Liberia, a nation ravaged by 14 years of civil war. Mr. Bryant was the choice of the warring factions at the recently held Peace Conference in Ghana, West Africa.

Civilians in the streets of Monrovia were rejoicing while others who wore LURD and MODEL’s t-shirts were also jubilating.

The following individuals have been nominated by LURD: Lucini Kamara --- Minister of Finance, Kabina Jan’eh ----Minister of Justice, Dr. Vamba Kanneh ----- Minister of Transport, while Laveli Supuwood will head the Labour Ministry. The elections for the speaker and the deputy speaker of the assembly are expected to take place today.

George Dweh, who is the deputy chairman of LURD, is said to be the leading candidate for the speaker position, although warring factions are not to occupy the speaker and deputy speaker posts. The nullification of the elections held in Monrovia for Assembly members for the various political subdivisions of Liberia has given the warring factions an overwhelming majority in the Assembly.

As The Inquirer recently reported,"The representatives also argued that if Gen. Abubakar nullified their election, the election of chairman Gydue Bryant and Vice Chairman Wesley Johnson should also be nullified because, according to them, they were elected outside of Liberia."

Mr. Dweh is considered by many as Liberian dictator Samuel Doe’s version of Benjamin Yeaten . They alleged that he was the master-mind behind the murders of Johnny Kpor, Johnny Nah and family (including his pregnant wife who was a Math Instructor at the University), Robert Phillip, the Lutheran church massacre, and many others.

Absent from the ceremony was Sekou Damate Conneh who is said to be “suffering from malaria.” Former warlord Roosevelt Johnson is no longer in exile - he returned to Monrovia over the weekend.