Warning signs for General Doe
by a correspondent with Agency Reports
An assassination attempt on General Doe's life led to the arrest and release of four political leaders. But it is worth noting that the attempt was reported to have taken place on April 1, ALL FOOLS DAY.Another bizarre twist to the march towards democratic elections in Liberia was unfolded with the arrest and release of four leaders of political parties on the orders of the Head of State, General Doe.
The four, Mr G. Baccus Mathews of the United Peoples Party, Dr Edward B. Kesselly of the Unity Party as well as Mr Tuan Wreh and Harry Greaves Snr. of the Liberia Action Party, were held for questioning following their reported implication in an assassination attempt on Gen. Doe. Their continued detention together with the banning of Dr Amos Sawyer, another political leader from political activities would have been the final act in the plans of Gen. Doe who as Master-Sergeant in the Liberian army seized power through a military coup, to perpetuate his rule despite assurances of his determination to usher the country into a civilian democratic rule.
The assassination attempt involved the Deputy Commander of the Executive Mansion Guard Battalion, Lt-Col. Moses Flanzamaton who, it was said, opened fire on the vehicle in which Gen. Doe was riding.
Gen. Doe's own account was that the incident occurred at about 1.30am on the grounds of the Executive Mansion on his return from the guest house in Paynesville. He said when his vehicle approached the grounds of the Executive Mansion, the Security guards at the first booth recognized him but as he made his way to the second booth, Colonel Flanzamaton opened fire on his Mitsubishi Jeep causing a pandemonium. Gen. Doe believed there were others involved in the shooting as evident by gunshot marks on both sides of the jeep, resulting in the injury of his two special bodyguards, Major Rossevelt Clarke and Lt. Colonel Richard O Tarpeh.
Col. Flanzamaton was reported to have escaped but he was arrested after a reward of $25,000 had been offered by the government to anyone who could arrest or give information for his arrest.
On April 8, the Liberian News Agency reported that Lt-Col. Moses M.D. Flanzamaton had been executed at the Barclay Training Centre after he was found guilty of the crime of attempting to assassinate the Head of State'.
Gen. Doe, who gave the execution orders, told a press briefing that Lt- Col. Flanzamaton was found guilty after an 'intensive investigation' conducted by the joint security of Liberia into the assassination attempt. At this same conference, Gen. Doe ordered the release of the four political leaders claiming that the joint security did not obtain sufficient evidence to confirm their implication in the plot. He stated, 'I believe Col. Flanzamaton was using these individuals as camouflage to distract from his evil intention'.
These are signs which should warn General Doe not only to demonstrate his commitment to the democratic civilian rule with mere words but stick to the timetable to hold free elections with the active participation of all the country's politicians.
Gen. Doe concluded that it was his strongest belief that Lt-Col. Flanzamaton's attempt was motivated by his desire to eliminate the Head of State so that he won't be sent to Belleh Yallah for his indebtedness to the Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation (LPMC). 'He thought that by assassinating me, he would be free from that confinement and debt', Gen. Doe added.
It is worth noting that the assassination attempt was reported to have taken place on April 1, ALL FOOLS' DAY, and it is also noted that in announcing the release of the politicians from detention, Gen. Doe condemned "Col. Flanzamaton's treachery of implicating the politicians in the hope of getting him as Head of State to take action to destroy the process of democratic rule which we are striving to foster."
Gen. Doe has been presenting himself as someone who is still dedicated to free elections to install a civilian government. But it will be worthwhile to refer him to the reaction of the people who in their hundreds stormed the streets of Bachanan in Grand Bassa County in jubilation over the freeing of their political leaders. In Monrovia too it was reported that jubilant crowds of different walks of life also paraded the streets to welcome their political leaders.
These are signs which should warn Gen. Doe not only to demonstrate his commitment to the democratic civilian rule with mere words but stick to the timetable to hold free elections with the active participation of all the country's politicians.
For the expression of jubilation over the release of the politicians can easily turn into massive demonstrations in protest against Gen. determination to disenfranchise his Doe's political opponents and thereby perpetuate his rule.
Doe pulls all stops to win.
