Doe's Plans For Civilian Rule
Ben Mensah
This leaves the West as the only part of Africa where political stability has remained a forlorn aspiration where military rule is the order of the day. With the exception of a few, almost every West African country - Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Upper Volta, Chad, Mali, Niger, Guinea Bissau - have all seen their military seize power once, twice or several times since independence.
In countries like Togo and Benin the military rulers have managed to organise their supporters into mass movements along the lines of political parties while in others the soldiers, after admitting their failure returned to the barracks after a couple of years at the helm of national affairs to allow civilians back in the saddle of government. In the latter category is Nigeria which this year successfully completed the first phase of its democratic exercise and re-elected President Shehu Shagari to a second four-year term of office.
OPTIMISM
The optimism generated by the Nigerian elections among believers in the peaceful process of power transfer was, however, scotched by the coup in Ghana which overthrew another democratically elected government of Dr Hilla Limann. Flt-Lt. Rawlings coup was followed by another in Upper Volta in which the military ruler who had promised to return his country to civilian rule was overthrown by present leader, Captain Sankara.But if the 1983 coup in Upper Volta had threatened to put the brakes on further gravitation towards democratic civilian rule in West Africa, Ex-Master Sergeant, and now President Doe's programme of allowing multi-party politics and to return Liberia to civilian rule is a major milestone that cannot be ignored.
President Doe who in 1980 overturned the status quo in Africa's oldest independent republic and executed its leaders in the most undignified manner made the headlines this year not with his plans to restore democracy in Liberia but with his dramatic decision to resume diplomatic relations with Israel at Ambassadorial level.
OPPOSITION
Dr Samuel K. Doe as he is now referred to, the Liberian Head of State explained to the United Nations General Assembly that in 1973 Liberia felt obliged to join other OAU member states to sever relations with Israel in solidarity with Egypt, a member of the OAU whose territory had been forcibly occupied by Israel. That decision was taken, he said, because of Liberia's strong opposition to the acquisition of territory by force of arms.Dr Doe went on to say that the condition for a continued break in relations with Israel no longer exists. Besides, he said, the two countries have further established diplomatic relations and have exchanged Ambassadors in this connection.
In the context of international relations, Liberia's relations with Israel was very newsworthy but Dr Doe also touched an issue which even though internal, within the West African context was also very significant. Dr Doe assured the Assembly: "Liberia now stands proudly at the dawn of a national rebirth as we have moved steadily ahead in our constitutional process for return of the country to civilian rule in 1985".
In pursuit of this objective the ruling People's Redemption Council (PRC) has endorsed a timetable proposed by the National Constitution Commission for returning Liberia to civilian democratic rule by 1985 following the completion of a new constitution and general elections.
The endorsement was given on July 26th 1983 to pave the way for the lifting of the ban on political activities on April 12th next year.
It set January 9th to 19th 1984 for referendum and voters' registration and said October 1st 1984, voters registration would be published. November 1st-10th, has been set aside for verification and handling of challenges of the national voters' register while November 19th through to January 18th 1985, sixty days before elections, has been devoted to campaigning by the political parties On January 2nd, 1985 the final registration list would be published and on January 18th, campaigning by political parties would end to be followed by general elections on January 20th.
On March 1st, 1985 official certificates of elections would be issued and the legislature would convene on April 5th for organisation purpose before inauguration day Already the commission presented its revised documents to the Head of State who has promised that the ruling Peoples' Redemption Council would review them and that in spite of a delay, the PRC was exerting every effort to adhere to the programme.
But this was also the first time that an allusion was made that the programme had been delayed and therefore threatening to go askew.
Then came another occasion when Dr Samuel Doe, while addressing chiefs, elders and citizens at a development meeting in Lofa county, regretted that the people had not been consulted before the PRC announced 1985 as the date for a return to civilian rule.
To this the chiefs and elders asked the Head of State to reflect on sought. government activities over the past three years and consider whether rushing to the barracks was the solution to the problems facing the state.
Whether Dr Samuel Doe was rushing real? Liberia back to civilian rule or not is a question only the good people of sovereign Liberia may proffer an answer. But the fact cannot be denied that Dr Samuel Doe's programme to return Liberia to civilian rule has ment. aroused considerable significance for the fortunes of democratically elected civilian governments in West Africa.
It is also for the same reason that recent developments in that country are viewed as a real threat to the successful implementation of the programme to return Liberia to civilian rule.
Differences within the ruling military council have culminated in an alleged coup plot in which the former Armed Forces Commander General, to civilians. Thomas Quiwonkpa and the former Nimba County Superintendent Brig Gen Joseph Fambalo have been implicated and are currently being
These are disturbing incidents which certainly threaten Liberia's march to civilian rule. Are they orchestrated to provide Dr Samuel Doe an opportunity to renege on his promise or are they
A Ministry of Defence statement has noted that for quite some time, the nation has been going through a period of anxiety because of the abortive plot to overthrow the PRC government
Reporting the death of several innocent citizens in the attempt, the defence ministry statement observed that it had created an air of uncertainty throughout Liberia.
Under 'pressure' from traditional rulers not to rush back to the barracks a military regime such as Dr Doe's that is also passing through a period of anxiety and breathing an air of un certainty is bound to have another look at its programme to hand over power.
Yet this is an honourable pledge made to the people of Liberia and advertised before the whole world, including the United Nations General Assembly by Dr Samuel Doe himself. Only time will tell whether the military in Liberia intend to honour this pledge, and on schedule or not.
For the moment, however, Dr Doe's programme remains a significant development in the march by West Africans towards democratic civilian governments as is the case in the East, South and North Africa.
