By Sallu K. Swaray & J. Dennis Weah, Jr.
Members and supporters of the Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia (EFFL) in collaboration with the Coalition of Islamic Organizations in Liberia and the Vanguard Student Unification Party on Thursday February 28, 2019, gathered for protest under the banner ‘Operation Save the Judiciary’ and staged a peaceful protest on Capitol Hill in Monrovia; says proceedings of the impeachment trial of the Associate Justice Kabineh Jan’eh are unlawful and unconstitutional.
In protest of what they termed, “Stop the Unlawful Impeachment Proceeding against Associate Justice Kabineh M. Jan’eh and the Violation of the Constitution,” the Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia’s Commander In Chief, Emmanuel Gonqueh, indicated that the impeachment proceeding process violates the integrity of the Judiciary and the Supreme Court of Liberia.
Addressing a mammoth crowd at the Capital Building, Mr. Gonqueh earlier informed the crowd that their assembling had a peaceful intent and asked the protestors to remain patient as the leadership was doing everything possible that the National Legislature would hear them out.
As the protesters pulled together in their numbers he said thou the security guards could not permit them easy entry they were assured of presenting their plight at the end of the day to the lawmaking body.
The group stated that the country the trial depicts that the Liberian Government has one-branch, the executive branch, under the leadership of President Weah.
This trial of Jan’eh, Mr. Gonqueh indicated further, signifies that the Judiciary was undermined and indicated that not one of the three branches of government has absolute power over another. They through the EFFL commander in chief stressed that there is an existing trouble in the instance where one branch of government strives to usurp the function of the other two; it means the country has a problem.
Gonqueh told an array of peaceful demonstrators at the front view of the Capitol Building on Capitol Hill Thursday, February 28, 2019, that reasons for the impeachment of Justice Jan’eh is politically motivated.
He explained that Jan’eh is being impeached because of his dissenting opinion pin-pointing frauds that have attended the process as reasons for a rerun of the 2017 presidential election in the Charles Brumskine versus the National Election Commission case during the election, which was contrary to the opinion of the other justices of the Supreme Court including the Chief Justice Francis Korkpor.
The EFF Commander – In – Chief therefore observed that elements of the ruling party at the National Legislature have chosen to use their present claims as an alibi to achieve their vindictiveness against the Supreme Court justice simply for having a dissenting which is being used as a trump card to eject Justice Jan’eh from the Supreme Court.
The lawmakers, he indicated, want to use this impeachment process as a means of allowing the CDC government of President Weah to have dominant influence over the Supreme Court in any future elections, especially for the 2020 and 2023 senatorial and presidential elections.
“We see this impeachment of the Associate Justice as being more than politically motivated just to achieve future political objectives,” Mr. Gonqueh said at the climax of the EFFL’s peaceful demonstration that ended at the Capitol Building.
The collaborating protesters also expressed that the impeachment proceeding of Associate Justice Ja’neh is a deliberate attempt to silence the judiciary. Informing journalists that country has become a dictatorial and not a democratic country. The group also said that President Weah has violated Article 54 of the Constitution of Liberia but did not indicate the breach of the constitutional violation.
The EFFL Commander In Chief reiterated that his group sees the impeachment of Jan’eh as a flagrant violation of the laws and Constitution. “President George Weah should also be impeached because he has breached several provisions in the Liberian Constitution,” he noted.
Mr. Gonqueh argued that instead of Jan’eh, it is President Weah that needs to be impeached because he violated Articles 54, 37 of the Constitution and the 2005 Procedural Law of the country, which states after every 10 years, the government of Liberia should be able to conduct the National Population Census, indicating that President Weah has failed to conduct population and housing census since he has taken the helm of state power – which he noted is a breach that warrant impeachment.
Cllr. Pearl Brown Bull who spoke to journalists said under Article 1 of the Liberian Constitution, all power is inherent in the people. All free governments are instituted by the authority and for the benefit and they have the right to utter the same when their safety and happiness required.
She cited that the right to free and peaceful assembly of the people is also guaranteed under the constitution; and extended thanks to the Minister of Justice for exercising his maturity ensuring the safety of the people by providing protection for the once they have gathered peacefully.
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