About three weeks ago, I was compelled to write an open letter to ECOWAS through its Secretary General, Dr M. I. Chambas, only to let that honorable body know that Liberians are unhappy about the way and manner ECOWAS handles the Liberian crisis. Let me tell you some of the things that were at the back of my mind when I wrote ECOWAS:

• ECOWAS landed in Liberia with the permission of the Doe Administration; otherwise, ECOWAS could not have intervened due to the Treaty of Non-intervention signed with Liberia. However, no sooner had its troops settled down in Monrovia did they disarm Doe’s body guards and allow the rebels to kill him at their headquarters at the Free Port of Monrovia. This was a tragic military blunder on the part of ECOWAS, a supposed peacekeeper. This did not even end the internecine war.
  
  
• ECOWAS promised the Liberian people that all armed factions would be disarmed by ECOMOG, its military wing. And that this would create an atmosphere for free and fair elections. On the contrary, ECOWAS failed to disarm the rebels. In fact, during the elections rebel leader Taylor repeatedly threatened to continue the war unless he became president. ECOMOG did nothing about this violent threat. Instead, ECOWAS threatened to pull out of Liberia unless we had elections, in spite of complaints by civil society that there was no level playing field. Amidst these genuine democratic reservations, Taylor was announced the winner of the rushed elections without counting 30% of the polls in the country. This is how we got a rebel president.
  
  
• Last but not the least, ECOWAS vowed to restructure and train the military and paramilitary forces of Liberia after the elections. This crucial and sensitive national security issue was included in the Abuja Accord of August 1996 to which all-warring factions; the civil society and ECOWAS were signatories. Nevertheless, after the elections ECOWAS packed up and left Liberia under the pretext that Taylor did not allow them to restructure and train the security forces. I know, as a matter of fact, that ECOWAS had more troops than Taylor and he could not have stopped ECOMOG from carrying out their military duty to the West African region. Because of this, the once peaceful region is in more turmoil than ever mainly because of Taylor. The irony here is that Taylor with impunity did not adhere to ECOWAS-sponsored peace accords upon becoming president. He further masterminded rebel atrocities in Sierra Leone against ECOWAS peace initiatives, thus undermining the stability of the entire West African sub-region. Yet, ECOWAS still supports the Taylor dictatorial regime at the tragic expense of the Liberian people, despite the UN sanctions. It appears that ECOWAS is either afraid of Taylor, lack manifest interest in the security of their region or Taylor is taking our money to bankroll situations in the region for his personal gains.
  
  

These were some of the things that were at the back of my mind when I wrote Dr. Chambas for ECOWAS, saying that they should cease and desist from further making decisions about Liberia over the heads of its citizens. Taylor is the problem in Liberia! Here is a man who has brought an unprecedented war on his fellow countrymen because he wanted to be president. He was allowed to assume the office but has proven not to be up to the task. Yet, he is bent on perpetuating himself in power at all costs.

Now, a word to Liberians in tears for their country, the reasons why ECOWAS has been able to manipulate Liberia in this fashion is simply because Liberians have not learned to decide their own destiny and the future of their country. In matters of serious national concerns the average Liberian usually acts first before he even thinks. For instance, “you kill my pa and you kill my ma, I will still vote for you” is an unprecedented and thoughtless political slogan that any thinking person will ascribe to in a war-torn country. The killer of their parents they voted for is now in power; this time he is killing those who voted for him. What do you want Liberian politicians to do? You rewarded Taylor for his crimes against the Liberian nation and people.

However, I do know that Liberia is a nation of wise people capable of learning from their mistakes; this is why I have taken the awesome responsibility to state these facts as they are for the sake of our beloved nation.

There is a clarion call by some Liberians that opposition politicians should unite in order to rid Liberia of Taylor. My comment is that there may be a prevailing complacency on the part of Liberian opinion leaders in politics, but there is a reason for that. Those who are alleging complacency should investigate why the once very active and vocal politicians of Liberia now appear to be silent amidst an unprecedented and copious dictatorship. However, since many have expressed concerns on this matter, here are my comments:

The political agitation of the 70’s involving PAL, MOJA, and even the TWP Youth Wing was geared towards reverting Liberia to multiparty democracy as provided in the Constitution and laws of Liberia. Prior to the Tubman Administration, Liberia had always been a multiparty state. The idea of a multiparty democracy is to fully grant the electorate the right and freedom to choose among several candidates in any democratic election. The progressive movements in Liberia were able to achieve having elections with more than one party during President Doe’s Administration. However, the pace of political and economic change, coupled with the political consciousness of the masses as well as the response of political leaders in addressing these factors was slow. Accordingly, there was a need for the rise of new parties to effectively respond to this slow pace during the 1997 elections. Should we have gone back to one party- state just because we were faced with Taylor, an unscrupulous candidate? Emphatically no. I strongly believe that the constitutional and democratic process of multiparty elections should continue unabated. Liberians should be accorded the right to choose their leader. This is what we fought for, this is what we have achieved under our laws and this is what we should have. If the Liberian people feel they have erred in choosing a rebel leader as their president, they have the sovereign power and political opportunities to correct the situation at any time they wish. This should not be left to the undertaking of a few so-called politicians. Neither does it warrant reverting to one party state by uniting all politicians with divergent political leanings and views, a strong impossibility.

Moreover, I have the feeling that the persistent call for unity of opposition politicians against Taylor by some citizens is indeed a search for national leadership. The search for national leadership in a democratic society involves the readiness and the will of the people to participate in a national debate in developing a national agenda, which they will support, politically and financially because it is their national plan. Here, I suggest that we have undertaken a sustained national debate and that a consensus has developed that there is a need for replacement in our national leadership. The final step, I further suggest, is to organize politically and raise funds to implement that national agenda. I strongly believe that if, the majority of Liberians are truly committed to this national agenda, there should not be any stumbling blocks in organizing and raising funds. As for my house and me we are willing to work with any one equally willing, ready and able to organize and raise funds to bring about the necessary change in leadership in Liberia, which is long overdue.

I am not a candidate for the presidency, but I am willing to help save my country as I have tried to do before.

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About the Author: Justice Chea Cheapoo was a Justice Minister of Liberia during the Samuel K. Doe regime. During the 1997 elections in Liberia, he was presidential candidate for the Progressive People's Party.

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