IPNews-Monrovia:Nearly three months since president George Manneh Weah, signed into law the ‘Kamara Abdullah Kamara (KAK) Act of Press Freedom’, sending huge praises from Liberians and it’s international partners, signifying the path of building upon what his predecessor former president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has laid down.
The instrument which was a resubmission to the 54th National Legislature with few changes included titling the Press Freedom Act after the deceased former President of the Press Union of Liberia and the amendment of Chapter 11 of the Penal Law of 1978, repealing Sections 11.11 on criminal libel against the President; 11.12 on Sedition and 11.14 on criminal malevolence.
The bill also calls for ‘Free speech and media freedom advocates’, sending signal genuine commitment to protecting the basic tenets of Liberia’s fledgling democracy.
The KAK Act of Press Freedom further strengthens and actualizes Liberia’s commitment to several legal instruments signed onto, such as Freedom of Information Act, the Table Mountain Declaration and many others.
On the heels of the signing of this significant bill into law, Minister of State Nathaniel MCGill filed a lawsuit against popular Talk-Show host Henry P. Costa and the Vice chair, political Affairs, of the opposition Liberty Party (LP) Abraham Darius Dillon for half a million dollars, accusing them of slander.
Now as the clock turns, the opposition Liberty Party (LP) says it takes seriously and is aware of the political emotions and intolerance driving lawsuits against Mr. Abraham Darius Dillon, the LP Vice Chair for Political Affairs and Mr. Henry P. Costa, on acocut of their continued vocal criticisms of the George Weah’s administration and vows to ‘legally and Politically protect the pairs.
Addressing reporters at the party’s national headquarters, Liberty Party National Chairman, Steve Zargo, also Senator, Lofa County, stated that the Party will do everything legally and politically reasonable to protecting the two advocates’ in appreciation of their continued advocacies which have significantly benefited the ordinary people of Liberia.
Zargo said the opposition Liberty Party Chairman is also cautioning the government against taking actions that would set the nation on a path of reliving its national nightmares of the past.
He challenged government, especially President George Weah to ‘rise to the occasion and begin to show leadership in the face of this looming national crisis’.
“Our President George Weah’s doesn’t need to be told that he is presiding over a deeply divided nation.”
“We would like to warn public officials instituting such court actions as a means of clamping down on dissent to immediately desist as it would only heighten the wave of political tension blowing across the country.
“These officials are supposed to know that democracy, the form of government that we subscribe to, is one founded on freedom. The history of our country is replete with the very harsh consequences of people attempting to subvert and manage the freedom of the people.” Senator Steve Zargo stated.
Speaking further, the LP national chairman explained that the Party also acknowledges and endorsed reports of a planned peaceful protest by a group of Liberians, “the Council of Patriots” on June 7, 2019, under the theme “Save the state”.
Steve Zargo:”Protest actions are intended under the democratic structure to remind the government of the day on the growing wave of economic hardship, uncontrollable corruption, flagrant constitutional violations, and mob violence, clamp down on non-adherents, across the country and proffer solutions towards mitigating these problems.
“We welcome the pending peaceful protest as it is a fundamental tenet of democracy for the people to freely assemble and petition their government when it is so required. Our decision is further informed by the demonstrated indifference the President and officials of this government continue to show in the face of the bruising economic hardship being faced by our people.”
Senator Zargo said in adherence to the tenets of democracy,to which the Liberty party subscribed, it is also cautioning the planned protesters straight adherence to the rule of law and given the sad history of recent violent protests organized by the CDC while in opposition and during the recent Montserrado County by-elections in district 13, urging the organizers to remain peaceful and act in keeping with laws.
He further called on the government to ensure this constitutional mandate of providing security for the protestors and constructively advert any plan by surrogates of the government to provoke violence as was done by Mayor Jefferson Koijee and his supporters in District 13.
The LP chairman furthermore made a passionate plead to the UN, EU, AU, ECOWAS and other international to keep their eyes open on trend of unfolding events leading to the holding of this much publicized June 7, protest action.
