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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
LIBERIA: Bryant backs down over rejected LURD nominees
MONROVIA, 27 October 2003 (IRIN) - Liberia's transitional leader, Gyude Bryant, has agreed to review some of the nominees for senior government appointments that he rejected last week, the speaker of Parliament, George Dweh, said.
The move came after the LURD rebel movement stopped UN and relief agency vehicles from travelling out of Monrovia along the main road that leads northwest towards Tubmanburg and the Sierra Leone border on Saturday in protest at Bryant's rejection of three LURD nominees.
LURD Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy) subsequently threatened to pull out of Bryant's broad-based government, which is supposed to consolidate peace in Liberia after 14 years of civil war and lead the country to elections in 2005.
However, the chairman of the transitional government softened his position on the question of senior government appointments after a closed-door meeting with Liberia's traditional parliament on Monday.
"The chairman backed down over some appointments he made recently to slots allotted warring parties in the government," his spokesman told reporters.
"Chairman Bryant has informed us that there would be a process of consultation among the signatories to the (18 August peace) agreement before making any nominations to positions so as to avoid confusion," he added.
Last week, Bryant rejected the nomination of LURD chief of staff, General Aliyu Sheriff, as chief of staff of the Liberian army. He also vetoed LURD's Netherlands-based spokesman, Charles Bennie, as commissioner of customs and Isaac Nyanebo, a founder member of the rebel movement, as vice-governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL).
LURD subsequently closed the strategic Po-River Bridge 17 km west of the capital, Monrovia to all United Nations and aid agencies in protest against Bryant's rejection of some of its nominees in the power-sharing government.
The bridge lies on the main road west from Monrovia and forms a demarcation line between the zones controlled by UN peacekeepers in the capital, and LURD, which still holds sway in the countryside north and west of the city.
Bryant has also angered supporters of former president Charles Taylor by his reluctance to confirm some of their nominees for senior government posts.
On Monday, Cyril Allen, a close ally of Taylor, told reporters: "A handful of political bureaucrats are attempting to ...misguide the chairman and vice chairman into usurping the various posts in the government from civil society and the political parties.
He cited the appointment of one Mabutu Nyenkpan, an aide to chairman Bryant as deputy managing director for administration at the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Corporation. Allen said this slot Allen should go to either LURD or a second rebel group MODEL (Movement for Democracy in Liberia).
Sheriff, the LURD military commander, told IRIN on Saturday that he had ordered his forces in the Monrovia area to regroup in Tubmanburg, 60 km northwest of the city in view of the crisis.
"Because Bryant and his clique are rejecting our nominees, we deem it necessary to take this action and give strict orders to our men to get back to Tubmanburg for further orders," General Sheriff said. However, he hastened to add that his forces were not preparing to resume fighting.
"We are not allowing any relief agency to come in our controlled territory now. We want the UN to know what Bryant and his clique are doing," he said. "Until I can get further orders from my national chairman Sekou Damate Conneh, the bridge will not be opened."
Relief workers said on Monday that the United Nations and various relief agencies were negotatiating with LURD to reopen the Po River bridge to aid traffic.
"They have indicated they can allow some to some pass" one relief worker told IRIN.
On Thursday, Bryant said in a statement: "It has been observed that some individuals from the parties to the (peace) agreement have begun acting in ways that are not consistent with the agreement."
"It has also been noticed that some of the parties are announcing what they consider to be appointments in public service. Any vacancies in those areas will be filled through either the civil service or through the public policy protocol regarding executive appointments," he added.
The peace agreement led to the appointment of Bryant as chairman of a transitional government that will lead Liberia to elections in 2005. It allocated specified posts to the National Patriotic Party of former president Charles Taylor, the two rebel groups, the other political parties and civil society groups.
Earlier this month, the United Nations expressed concern at the some of the cronies of former warlords being put forward as nominees for senior posts in the transitional government. It warned the signatories of the peace agreement that they would risk losing international aid and goodwill unless they appointed competent and respected inviduals who would put the public good over personal gain.
Themes: (IRIN) Conflict
[ENDS]
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