Liberians now have a Comprehensive Peace Plan

Accra, Aug.18 GNA - ECOWAS Chairman, President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday appealed to stakeholders at the Liberia Peace Talks to remain steadfast with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement they signed in Accra to pave the way for the consolidation of peace in their war-ravaged country.

"Having suffered so much devastation and deprivation as a result of politically motivated conflicts, Liberians must now appreciate the danger of individuals and groups of persons, undermining national interest, and individuals' human rights, through the barrel of the gun."

The Ghanaian Leader, flanked by other Leaders of the Sub-Region and members of the international community to observe the two- hour ceremony received a standing ovation for the incisive remarks he made about the occasion and for his personal efforts in brokering the Agreement. "Your own experiences over the past decade firmly establish that, truly genuine political power comes not by the gun, but by the will of the people, expressed through the ballot," attracting a prolonged applause from Liberian refugees in Ghana and women pressure groups at the Peace Talks.

President Kufuor said the National Transitional Government for Liberia (NTGL) is designed to prepare the grounds for democratic governance in Liberia, adding that the democratic process would facilitate the management of conflicts for the avoidance of violent political change.

Furthermore good governance and respect for human rights and the rule of law have become the most important conditions for ensuring a country's development and competitive advantage on the international stage.

President Kufuor gave an overview of efforts ECOWAS had put in resolving the protracted the Liberian conflict.

These include the deployment of Nigerian led Inter-Positional Vanguard Force in Monrovia to stop the carnage; protect lives and properties and generally restore order to enable the search for peace in Liberia to continue.

" I urge all Liberians to resolve, henceforth, to allow the love of humanity and of country to prevail over the love of power. There is nothing we would love more than, if after today's signing ceremony, you Liberian stakeholders return to your country and hold firmly onto this peace agreement."

Visiting President of Equatorial Guinea, General Teodore Obiang N'Guema M'basasogo; ECOWAS Executive Secretary, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, former Nigerian Head of State, and facilitator of the Peace Talks, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, witnessed the signing ceremony. Also present were representatives of the United Nations, African Union, The European Union and the International Contact Group on Liberia.

General Abubakar, who was also given a standing ovation for steering the Peace Talks, expressed the hope that the Agreement would lead to the return of normalcy in Liberia.

"I believe that with the signing of this Agreement Liberia will never again be plunged into another War. Liberia Need developers and nation builders."

General Abubakar urged the combatants to take the process serious and not to derail the peace process again.

"The international community is getting impatient with Liberia" he said, adding: "If Liberians believe that (Former President) Charles Taylor is the problem he has left, let no one else be the next problem."

Dr Chambas also cautioned the belligerent groups that further violence will lead to more killings, maiming and hardships.

The Agreement he said calls for disarmament, de-mobilisation and reintegration of combatants and called for unity of purpose from all stakeholders to make that possible.

The endorsement of the Agreement by the major players would be followed by the nomination of a Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the NTGL by delegates to the Peace Talks by consensus.

The NTGL will manage the transitional process of the war-ruined country for two years to pave the way for general election in October 2005.

The elected government would assume power on January 6, 2006. Mr Louis Brown of the Government of Liberia, Mr Sekou Conneh, Chairman of Liberians United for Reconciliation Democracy (LURD); Mr Thomas Yaya Nimely of Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) and representatives of the 18 political parties and civil society groups endorsed the 27-page document.

The Agreement provides for a general framework for the peace process including the composition of the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement that should have been signed 30 days after the signing of the June 17 Ceasefire Agreement, endorsed by the three warring factions, dragged on due to extensive lobbying and disagreement of stakeholders over the composition and sharing of position in the NTGL.

The warring parties will have 12 seats each in the transitional legislature, up from seven seats allotted to them earlier. In view of the increase in the allotments, the National Transitional Legislative Assembly (NTLA) will now have a total of 76. Civil society and special interest groups will have a total of seven seats, a seat each for the 18 political parties and the 15 counties in Liberia.

The three belligerent groups will also contest the election for Speaker and Deputy Speaker for the transitional legislative assembly after its composition in Monrovia.

Earlier, the three parties were barred from participation. The 18 political parties and civil society organisations would collectively nominate three candidates for the positions. The three nominees would be put before the three warring parties - GOL, LURD and MODEL - who will do a final selection for the positions. October 14 is the date set by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the inauguration of the transitional government that takes over from the incumbent Head of State, President Moses Blah.

Mr Blah took over from former President Taylor, who stepped down due to international pressure and went into exile in Nigeria. Fourteen years of conflict had killed an estimated number of 250,000 people and driven more than 500,000 others into exile.