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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
LIBERIA: LURD threatens to quit government over jobs row
MONROVIA, 12 September 2003 (IRIN) - The Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebel movement has threatened to pull out of a broad-based transitional government that is due to take power next month, claiming there are plans to deny it key government posts."
"There are attempts by some associates of incoming transitional leader Gyude Bryant to stop the warring parties from occupying certain slots given to us in the Accra agreement," Joe Gbala, LURD Secretary General told IRIN on Friday.
"They want Bryant to appoint all assistant ministers, which is a violation of the agreement," he added.
Gbala formed part of the LURD delegation to talks in Ghana which led to the signing of a peace agreement between the government, LURD and another rebel faction, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL)on 18 August.
The deal to end 14 years of civil war was signed a week after former president Charles Taylor stepped down and sought asylum in Nigeria, leaving the government in the hands of his deputy Moses Blah.
The peace agreement provided for the formation of a transitional government, headed by Bryant, a respected Monrovia businessman. His administration is due to take office on October 14 and rule Liberia for two years until fresh elections are held
But Gbala told IRIN: "If those recycled politicians working with Gyude Bryant try to manipulate this agreement, we will have no alternative, but to pull out of the government."
"We will prevail on ECOWAS [the Economic Community of West African States] and the international community that the government should not take seat," he added.
On Thursday, Harry Greaves, a spokesman for Gyude Bryant, said on a radio talk show: "Warring factions will not be given assistant ministerial positions. That will be the duty of Chairman Bryant to do."
"Factions are only entitled to minister and two deputy ministerial slots in all of the ministries," Greaves said.
"Even all deputy managing directors of public corporations will be chosen by Chairman Bryant and not by the factions," he added.
LURD is the longer established and more powerful of the two rebel movements. It controls most of northern and western Liberia and was involved in fresh fighting with government forces near the central towns of Totota and Kakata. The clashes prompted tens of thousands of civilians to flee towards the capital Monrovia.
The peace agreement states: "Allocation of ministerial positions, deputy and assistant ministerial positions, headship of autonomous agencies, commissions, public corporations and state-owned enterprises shall be made to the parties to this agreement through a process of negotiation."
The document provided for the creation of 21 ministries in the transitional government and awarded five to each of the warring parties. The remaining six ministries were allocated to unarmed political parties.
The faction controlling each ministry was also given the right to appoint two deputy ministers, but the peace agrement did not say on what basis assistant ministers would be appointed.
It allocated the leadership of 22 public corporations to specific groups, but again ommited to say who would appoint their deputies.
While the jobs row raged, a boat chartered by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) left Monrovia for Harper on Friday to conduct assessment of humanitarian and security situation in the MODEL-occupied timber port close to the Ivorian border. The multi-agency mission was due to return to the capital on Monday.
UN Special Humanitarian Coordinator for Liberia Ross Mountain said "We are very pleased to be able to reach out to the southwest of Liberia as part of the effort of the humanitarian community to reach all those in need wherever they are."
Harper was previously an operations base of WFP and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), which looked after several thousand displaced people and refugees from other West African countries in the area.
Both UN agencies suspended their operations in Harper when MODEL overan the port in May.
Themes: (IRIN) Conflict, (IRIN) Governance
[ENDS]
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