Liberia
Jenkins Scott takes on the opposition
By Ben Mensah
The scepticism of the international community over the legitimacy of Gen Doe's government has been met with a visit to London by the General's Justice Minister, Jenkins Scott, not only to debunk opposition accusations of fraud during the presidential and parliamentary elections but also to re-emphasise his government's commitment to the democratic system.
At a press conference at the Liberian Embassy, Mr Jenkins Scott affirmed that notwithstanding the country's problems and shortcomings the Doe regime is committed to democracy. He told a questioner that a test of his commitment does not lie in the prohibition by his government of political activity on the campus of the University of Liberia.
According to Mr Scott, since the country's constitution is a blueprint which can only be interpreted by experts, the students should go to court to test their theory if they feel that their constitutional rights are being trampled upon.
The background to this questioning of Mr Jenkins Scott was the Justice Minister's warning that political activity on the campus of the University of Liberia was not allowed and even if it was, any student taking part in such activities would be treading on dangerous ground. He told a VOA correspondent, "students desiring to form political parties may believe their activities are in keeping with constitutional guarantee of free association," but cautioned, "those who take it upon them- selves to interpret the constitution may be taking serious risks."
Justice Minister Scott's warning was in reaction to the students' ultimatum to the president of the University demanding a lifting of the ban on campus political activity. Reiterating this stand at his press conference in London, Mr Jenkins Scott noted that politics can be at variance with academic pursuit but if on the other hand the university authorities can tolerate cells of political parties on the campus then the decision rested with such authorities.
Opposition accusations of fraud in the elections culminating in the abortive coup attempt of November 12 during which thousands of Liberians took to the streets to demonstrate their non-confidence in Gen Doe's leadership, according to Mr Jenkins Scott, do not worry the government. This is because the same thousands of Liberians who earlier demonstrated against Doe turned round to dance in the streets in Monrovia in jubilation when the announcement was made in the afternoon that the coup attempt had been foiled.
The Justice Minister's explanation of the Strange behaviour of Liberians was that since Liberia had never known democracy and had no political parties, the people were merely learning to adapt to the novel process of ushering the country into democracy. This explains why the same thousands of people who attended the rally of one political party during the electioneering campaign should be seen at the rally of another party. In the view of Mr Scott since people normally follow "anything for a good laugh or good party" the behaviour of Liberians should not bother a government which knows what it is doing and where it is going.
Mr Scott, who was arrested during the abortive coup attempt, stripped naked and thrown in detention till late in the afternoon, wouldn't estimate the level of support in Liberia for President Doe except to assert that President Doe's government no longer derives its authority from the April 1980 coup which toppled the Tolbert regime. He said Doe's new administration draws its support from the people and its composition is very representative of every ethnic grouping or political sub division in the country. "It is no longer a military government subject to military rules but a representative government and even though Samuel Kanyon Doe remains the same person, he has resigned from the army and accepts the subordination of the military establishment to the government," the Justice Minister further explained.
Liberia never had democracy and the fact that there was no fighting or bloodshed during the electioneering campaign was itself a good foundation on which to build democracy.
Inviting journalists to visit Liberia to see things for themselves to avoid the danger of having to always rely on information given by the opposition, Mr Scott noted that in every election the losing party usually has a way of quoting figures to show that it had been cheated. He cautioned the media against always siding with the underdog and dismissed suggestions that there is no democracy in Liberia simply because the other party didn't win. He said Liberia never had democracy and the fact that there was no fighting or bloodshed during the electioneering campaign was itself a good foundation on which to build democracy.
Commenting on the continued boycott by the opposition of seats won during the elections, the Minister said it was a measure of President Doe's commitment to democracy, that the opposition has a freedom of choice whether or not to take up their seats. He condemned the rationale behind this action of the opposition and reminded them of the pledge they made to the electorate before the elections to take up seats they would win. Mr Scott said this solemn pledge shouldn't be discarded by the opposition because they lost the elections. He discounted press reports that the elections were bogus and alleged that the American media in particular were being manipulated by Liberian dissidents. He then went on to cite other American sources which commented on the fairness of the elections.
Is President Doe's government likely to pay heed to suggestions from the chiefs to declare a one-party state? The Minister's answer was, "how seriously are the chiefs making the suggestion?"
When reminded that Gen Doe, prior to announcing his Presidential candidacy, had been urged by the same chiefs to do so, Minister Scott revealed that the chiefs at that time did not only make the suggestion but initiated certain steps to back up their suggestion. This was not the only area in which the Minister was not very forthcoming with categorical answers to questions. He declined to comment on the state of Liberia's economy because he was not equipped with facts and figures to undertake that exercise nor will he comment on inconclusive reports about his country offering asylum for the deposed Haitian President, Baby Doc. Mr Scott's reason was that he is not the Foreign Minister to deal with such matters. He announced the freeing of Mr Jackson Doe, the opposition leader on treason charges, but was vague on the fate of Mrs Ellen Sirleaf Johnson who is still being held in detention after the abortive coup attempt of November 12. Despite being the Minister of Justice Mr Scott would only say that his ministry has taken the preliminary steps of prosecuting her but beyond that he has no control over the courts.
Mr Jenkins Scott left the journalists present at the press conference in no doubt that his government would want to close the chapter on the electioneering crisis and forge ahead with the programme of improving the lives of Liberians. He said the government has accepted that the road to development in Africa lies not in industrialisation but through improved agriculture. Consequently President Doe has launched a 'Green Revolution' aimed at putting a stop to the importation of 70-80 per cent of Liberia's food imports. The President's reported order to his ministers to get involved in the revolution by establishing farms within six months was viewed as a hollow gesture but Minister Scott explained that the Ministerial involvement was meant to provide model farms and inspire other leading members of the Liberian community to get involved in agriculture.
Is President Doe's government likely to pay heed to suggestions from the chiefs to declare a one-party state?
