• ‘SKD for inauguration illegal’, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and New DEMOCRAT
• Culturists Want ‘15-County National Cultural Troupe’ Perform on Inauguration Day, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• “Be a Team Player” …Bishop Slobert Urges President-elect, Source: The INQUIRER
• Nimba District #4 Elections Dispute Hits Supreme Court, Source: The INQUIRER
• Court Reverses Arrest Order against Gender Minister, Source: The INQUIRER
• Meeting in Liberia on Implementing International Civil, Political Rights, Source: News Public Trust
• Liberty Party Taken to Court for USD50,000 Campaign Debt, Source: News Public Trust

‘SKD for inauguration illegal’, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and New DEMOCRAT

Reports say the Transitional Inaugural Committee to prepare the inaugural event of the new government has selected the Samuel Kanyon Doe (SKD) Sports Stadium in Paynesville as the venue for the inauguration ceremony of President-elect, George Weah which is due to take place on 22 January. But the report, however, says the venue violates the constitution that calls for such event to be held in the Capital, Monrovia. Meanwhile, the Legislature is to convene a special session today Friday and at the end of it, a joint resolution would be signed to legitimize the venue.

Culturists Want ‘15-County National Cultural Troupe’ Perform on Inauguration Day, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Amidst three days to the inauguration of the President-elect George Weah and Vice President-elect Jewel Howard Taylor, three prominent culturists and traditional actors are warning the Joint Transitional Inauguration Committee and the Inauguration Committee of the Legislature to include performance of the “15-County Traditional Culture Dance” on Inauguration Day, instead of a partial-private cultural dance group.

The president of the Liberia National Cultural Union (LNCU), Kekura Kamara, Mr. Madison Pailey, and Victor Taylor said the performances of cultural dances or traditional performances of the 16 tribes is a “symbol of unity, togetherness, peace, and reconciliation,” and must, therefore, be included to show to the world, that Liberia has a culture — and is a cultural or traditional country.

Mr. Kamara also warned the organizing committees to not allow a private group, specifically Juli Endee’s cultural troupe to displace or usurp the function of the LNCU or the National Cultural Troupe to perform as “a partial cultural performance.” Read more

“Be a Team Player” …Bishop Slobert Urges President-elect, Source: The INQUIRER

This paper reports that the Bishop of the Universal Fellowship Temple Pentecostal Bible Way Outreach Mission in New York, United States of America has called on the President-elect, George Weah to be a team player in order to be successful. Bishop Samson Slobert said like the president-elect’s soccer playing days, the mood of his interest was the goal and pride of the team which he belonged to winning a match. Bishop Slobert said that he would infer that the strength of his leadership is heavily derived from that soccer experience of being a team player in the football stadium.

The Bishop said in a similar manner, Liberia has been in dire need of a team player to fast-track the nation’s development and stated that the could have been no other better choice other than President-elect Weah. He cautioned that the people have spoken and have awarded him with their faith, trust, and destiny through their votes by making him their leader bearing in mind that he is fully aware of the problems and the needs of the nation as a whole, and that he is on an urgent call to lead in search of solutions wherever they can be found.

Nimba District #4 Elections Dispute Hits Supreme Court, Source: The INQUIRER

Complaints of two sons of Nimba County Electoral District #4 are now before the Supreme Court and argument is expected to be entertained at the soonest possible time. The defeated candidate Garrison Yealue has filed a Bill of Exception to the High Court indicating that the Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC) wrongly announced his rival Gonpue Kargon as the winner of the District. However, the current winner of the District as announced by the NEC has sharply responded to the Bill of Exception filed by Mr. Yealue. Gonpue in his legal brief filed at the Supreme Court denied all allegations directed to him.

Court Reverses Arrest Order against Gender Minister, Source: The INQUIRER

The Commercial Court of Liberia has revoked its recent writ of arrest to have gender minister Julia Duncan Cassell arrested and gave additional two weeks to make payment voucher available owed Smart Tech Company, this paper reports. Associate judge Chan-Chan Paegar Thursday entertained a motion made by the ministry’s in-house counsel, Cllr. Dallamah Sulunteh to have contempt purged on the gender minister and her principal deputies. Cllr. Sulunteh pleaded with the court that Mrs. Cassell is doing everything possible to make the payment available. Meanwhile, Judge Paegar has given the ministry two weeks to make the payment voucher available and also purge the contempt including all and any writ of arrest that was earlier issued on the gender minister and her deputies.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

Meeting in Liberia on Implementing International Civil, Political Rights, Source: News Public Trust

The International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) has begun a two-day seminar in Monrovia aimed at assessing the implementation of all reporting procedure on the abuse of human rights to the international organizations. According to the executive director of the Prison Fellowship of Liberia (PFL), Francis Kollie, Liberia has been a signatory to the international protocol on human rights but the government has not yet been able to carry out implementation domestically.

Kollie said that the Liberian government has not been pro-active in addressing issues relating to human rights problem confronting the nation. He, however, noted that the government has taken some steps to improve the country human rights records such as freedom of speech. The PFL executive director stressed that the judicial system needs to be favorable to every Liberian and not only the elite, in order to ensure that the people can access justice.

Meanwhile, the African Coordinator of the Center for Civil and Political Rights, Andre Kangni Afanou said the ratification of the international protocols is a step in the right direction to address human rights situation in Liberia. Afanou stated that although Liberia is challenged with several issues, but overcrowded prison condition is unacceptable based on international standard. Read More

Liberty Party Taken to Court for USD50,000 Campaign Debt, Source: News Public Trust

With the political dust settling following the 2017 presidential and legislative elections, stories of unsettled campaign liabilities have been emerging in Liberia. Local media reported a number of threats and actual pursuit of court actions against some of the candidates and political parties by creditors/vendors, especially cases dealing with indebtedness for printing of billboards, T-shirts and other campaign materials.

Now, a lawsuit has been filed at the Monrovia City Court against the Liberty Party (LP) for allegedly being indebted to a local printing house, TAS Group of Company in Monrovia. The court has subpoena LP’s chairman Benjamin Sanvee in connection the financial liability. Monrovia City Court’s Judge Kennedy Peabody Wednesday issued a writ of subpoena for Mr. Sanvee to appear in court on Tuesday, 23 January to provide evidence to the court surrounding the amount in question.

The court’s writ says that Mr. Sanvee risk being held in contempt if he fails to show up on the date mentioned by the Court as provided by law. But LP’s chairman told News Public Trust Thursday that lawyers representing the party are handling the case. Read More