MONROVIA: It is as if President George Manneh Weah had been awaiting the day of reckoning—his defeat and turning over power—or as if he’s just been demonstrating an innate discipline to democratic tenets and peaceful co-existence. This is so because he has been moving with rare energy and graciousness in his defeat, evidenced first in what some of his supporters called “premature concession” to his rival and, second, in his swiftness to put into place transitional mechanisms to turn over power on time. This week alone, the Liberian leader is expected to preside over what is perhaps his last cabinet meeting and later issuing an Executive Order that sets out mechanism for the transfer of power from his administration to the ensuing Joseph N. Boakia-led administration. The Analyst reports.
Liberia’s peaceful democratic transition which was decades apart is now coming in rapid succession in recent years. Before former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf broke the record, turning over democratically peacefully in 73 years, the last transition was in 1944 when President Edwin Barclay turned over to President William V.S. Tubman.
This current transition is merely six years apart, from Sirleaf to Weah in 2018 and from Weah to Boakai in 2024.
Interestingly, the incumbent president, George M. Weah, has been pushing the current transition quite robustly, moving with the speed of light.
His first expressed political will was shown when he dramatically tendered his concession speech, minutes after placing a call to his rival Boakai, while the electoral management body was still accounting votes, much to dislike of many of his party officials and supporters.
This week, the President announced a special cabinet meeting to be held today, Wednesday, November 22, 2023, bringing together the Vice President, Ministers, Deputy and Assistant Ministers, Heads of State Owned Enterprises, Commissions and Autonomous Agencies.
The special cabinet meeting will focus on transitional and other matters of national concern, according to the Executive Mansion.
In another important move, the President issued Executive Order 123 Tuesday, November 21, 2023 by which he has set up a Joint Presidential Transitional Team (JPTT) to ensure a smooth transfer of power from the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change government which he heads to the newly elected administration.
The President noted that President Weah was setting up the JPTT by virtue of the power and authority vested in him pursuant to Chapter 2, Article 5(c) of the 1986 Constitution of the Republic of Liberia (1986) authorizing him to develop a system of appropriate protocols and mechanisms for the smooth transfer of power from the incumbent President to the incoming President.
The President, who and President-Elect co-chair the Joint Presidential Transition Team, has already appointed members of his government to the Team. They include Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dean of the Cabinet, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of National Defense, and the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs.
Others include the Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Mines and Energy, Minister of Health, Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia, Economic Advisor to the President, Legal Advisor to the President, National Port Authority, National Social Security and Welfare Corporation, Liberia Maritime Authority, Liberia Revenue Authority, Director General of the General Service Agency, Liberia Electricity Corporation, and three other members to be appointed at the discretion of the Incumbent President.
According to the Executive Order issued by the President Tuesday, November 21, 2023, the President-Elect is invited to designate 20 persons to the JPTT, all of whom must be Liberian citizens, so as to facilitate the work of the JPTT in a timely manner.
The President has further appointed the Director-General of the Cabinet to serve as the Secretary to the JPTT and head of the Secretariat.
Other members of the Secretariat are the Economic Advisor to the President and the Legal Advisor to the President.
The Director-General of the Cabinet shall second other support staff from within the Executive Branch of Government as may be required, to expedite the timely work of the JPTT, the Executive Order also states.
The Incumbent President and the President-Elect shall be Co-Chairpersons to the JPTT.
The Executive Order further asserts that notwithstanding paragraph (d) above, the incumbent president shall designate the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dean of the Cabinet to act as Co-Chairperson in his absence to oversee all affairs of the Joint Presidential Transition Team 2023 and conduct all meetings in his absence.
“The President-Elect may also designate any member of his Team to similarly act as a Co-Chairperson in his absence,” the Order states further, adding: “Decisions of the JPTT shall be made by consensus and any disagreements shall be resolved by the Incumbent President and the President-Elect, acting jointly.”
“The JPTT shall commence its functions and exercise the powers and authority granted by this Executive Order no later than forty-eight (48) hours after the declaration of the President-Elect by the National Elections Commission (“NEC”). It shall cease to function after the publication of its Final Report which shall be no later than forty-eight (48) hours before the Inauguration of the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect.”
The incumbent President shall call the first meeting of the JPTT within 48 hours after the declaration of the President-Elect by the NEC, the Executive Order states.
According to the Executive Order 123, the JPTT is to commence its functions and exercise the powers and authority granted by this Executive Order no later than 48 hours after the declaration of the President-Elect by the National Elections Commission (“NEC”).
The Team will cease to function after the publication of its Final Report which shall be no later than 48 hours before the Inauguration of the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect.
Functions of JPTT
The Team, according to the Executive Order, is charged with responsibilities to formulate guidelines and policies to govern the transition; ensure the provision of regular national security briefings for the president-elect during the period commencing immediately upon the constitution of the JPTT by the incumbent president and the president-elect; ensure that every lawful step is taken to promote orderly transition from the incumbent president to the president-elect; and to liaise with all relevant government agencies to ensure the effective provision of services and facilities in pursuance of this Executive Order.
Order dictates that immediately upon constitution of the JPTT, the Incumbent President shall authorize the reallocation of national resources and assets to support the operations of the JPTT and its Secretariat and the provisions contained herein.
The appointees of the Incumbent President to the JPTT, who are officials of the Liberian Government and receiving salaries and emoluments up to the end of the mandate of the JPTT, shall not be entitled to any additional compensation for their services.
The appointees of the Incoming President and President-Elect to the JPTT, who are not public servants, shall be paid an honorarium as shall be decided by the Incumbent President and President-Elect.
The incumbent president and vice president shall vacate their official offices and official residences on or before Inauguration Day.
Notwithstanding this provision, the JPTT, working in collaboration with the appropriate agencies of the Government of Liberia, shall ensure that services are provided to them, which shall include but not be limited to: chauffeur-driven vehicles, VIP Protection (EPS and Police Services), logistics, allowances, and any other benefits and services as may be determined by the JPTT.
Non-Tenured Presidential Appointees
Non-tenured presidential appointees shall be presumed to have resigned as of the date of inauguration. Accordingly, the most Senior Civil Servant at all ministries, agencies, commissions and state-owned enterprises, shall act as Officer-in-Charge pending the appointment of their successors.
This Executive Order shall take immediate effect.
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