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MADAM ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF, PRESIDENT, REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA
MY DISTINGUISH COLLEAGUES/ 53TH LEGISLATURE THE DEAN AND MEMBERS OF THE CABINET. THE DOYEN AND MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORP, HEADS OF POLITICAL PARTIES,
HEAD OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS,
PRELATES,
CHIEFS AND TRADITIONAL LEADERS, MEMBERS OF THE FOURTH ESTATE, DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
JUST UNDER THIRTY-FIVE WEEKS AGO, THE NATION, COMING OUT OF COMPETITIVE AND CHALLENGED GENERAL AND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS- ESPECIALLY THE RUN-OFF PRESIDENTIAL ELECT ION GAVE US PAUSE FOR THOUGHT, AS WE GATHERED OUR WITS ABOUT US, AND PULLED OURSELVES BACK FROM THE BRINK.
THIS EPISODE OR EVENT- OCCURRING OVER SEVERAL DAYS- WAS A SIGNAL TEST TO OUR FLEDGING DEMOCRACY AND, HAVING PASSED THAT TEST, A SMALL VICTORY THAT, INDEED, WE THAT IS, LIBERIA, IS BEYOND THE CHAOS-PRONE- SYNDROME OF A SICK STATE, AND WELL ON ITS WAY TO A SLOW BUT SURE EVOTING PLURIST SOCIETY. THIS FEAT, THIS TRIUMPH, THIS SMALL VICTORY WAS MADE POSSIBLE NOT BY INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE BEING EXERTED UPON US, NOT BY ANY DIVINE OR MAGICAL INTERVENTION, BUT BY THE RESOLUTE WILL OF THE PEOPLE AND THEIR DESIRE TO FORGE AHEAD, AND CREATE THAT MUCH TOUTED, BUT YET DISTANT, “WHOLESOME FUNCTIONAL SOCIETY”. THE PEOPLE, THEREFORE WITH THEIR LEADERS (WHICH INCLUDED CIVIL AND TRADITIONAL, RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL) HAVING COOLED DOWN TEMPERS AND CHARTED THE COURSE FOR REASONED DIALOGUE, PROVIDED THE ENVIRONMENT FOR US- THE DIRECT CONSTITUTIONAL REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE –[P TO COMMENCE UPON OUR DUTY OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY –THIRD LEGISLATURE OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA.
AND, IMMEDIATELY UPON OUR ASSEMBLY, AT OUR VERY FIRST SITTING, WE, HAVING PEACEABLY AND NOBLY ELECTED THE LEADERSHIP OF THE HOUSE, PROCEEDED IN DOING THE WORK OF OUR “BOSSES”- THE PEOPLE, WITH NO SMALL AMOUNT OF UNCOMMON ZEAL.
THE DIVERSITY OF POLITICAL PARTIES REPRESENTED HERE AT THE “PEOPLE’S PALAVA HUT,” THE CAPITOL; THE VIEWS OF “SMALL” AND “LARGE” COUNTIES BEING FORCEFULLY PUT ACROSS WERE EQUALLY HEARD AND ATTENDED TO; THE DIVERGENT AND PASSIONATE PLEAS HEALRDED BY SOME OF LIBERIA’S FINEST SONS AND DAUGHTERS, ADVOCATING WITH TENACITY BUT CIVILITY FOR THEIR VARIOUS CONSTITUENCIES, FROM THE SEVENTY-THREE ELECTORAL DISTRICTS AND GOD’S COMMAND,” ATTEST TO LIBERIA BEING BACK ON ITS FEET.
AND HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER AND COLLEAGUES, PERMIT ME TO INSERT AT POINT, THAT IT IS MY PERSONAL AND REASONABLY INFORMED POSITION, THAT EACH LEGISLATOR, REGARDLESS OR HIS OR HER POLITICAL, IDEOLOGICAL OR SECTORAL LEARNING’S-WHEN IT COMES TO THE SUPREME INTEREST OF THE NATION- EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US HAS BEEN WILLING AND READY TO SUBLIMATE HIS/HER PARTISAN INTERESTS TO THE NATIONS. FOR THIS, I COMMEND YOU ALL – EACH ONE OF YOU, AND URGE US ALL TO MAINTAIN THIS NATIONALISTIC POSTURE, GOING FORWARD.
FELLOW COLLEAGUES, WHEN WE SAT TO THE PEOPLE’S BUSINESS, WE PLUNGED FULL-THRUST INTO OUR JOB – OVER TWENTY-FIVE(25) BILLS HAVE BEEN PASSED AND SIGNED INTO LAW ( COMPARED TO TWELVE(12)BILLS BEING SIGNED INTO LAW FOR THE SAME PERIOD IN 2006); ANOTHER FIFTY (50) BILLS ARE IN COMMITTEE ROOM, COVERING A VAST ARRAY OF SUBJECTS AND INTERESTS FROM SUPPORT FOR RURAL COMMUNITY RADIO, TO COMMUNITY COLLEGES; TO SUPPORT FOR LIBERIAN BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS; TO ENERGY AND TAX REFORM; TO THE “DECENT WORK BILL WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN PASSED,” AMONG OTHERS. SOME PERCEIVED INADEQUACIES WHICH PLAGUED A COUPLE OF THE VERY LAWS THAT WE PASSED IN THE FIFTY –SECOND LEGISLATURE, OF WHICH I WAS A PART.
YOU MAY NOW ASK, SO MR.SPEAKER, DO YOU HAVE TEMERITY TO ADMIT THAT YOU WERE A PART OF THE ASSEMBLY WHICH PASSED THE VERY LAWS YOU ARE NOW RECALLING FOR REVIEW? AND MY ANSWER IS A STRAIGHT-FORWARD, YES. YES, I WAS A PART.
……….BUT NOTE THIS: THE MECHANISM WHICH WE DELIBERATELY AND THOUGHTFULLY ENSHRINED IN THE LAWS FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE IS PRESENTLY BEING INVOKED WITH CREDIT, TO OUR PREDECESSORS – OF WHICH I WAS A CARDINAL PART – AS WELL.
THAT WE ARE PREPARED AND WILLING TO STATE THIS FACT WITHOUT EQUIVOCATION OR DELAY, SPEAKS TO THE LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO WHICH THIS SUBMITTING ITSELF.
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH EXECUTIVE MAY HAVE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN DISCORDANT AT TIMES A, BUT I CAN ASSURE THE PUBLIC THAT THE CORDIALITY EXISTING BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND THE SECOND BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT IS BEYOND REPROACH –SMOOTH, MUTUAL, FRIENDLY AND RESPECTFUL.
AS THE PHILOSOPHER KING PLATO REMINDED US –DEMOCRACY WAS THE LEAST FORM OF GOVERNMENT TO WHICH HE WOULD SUBSCRIBE –BUT, TWENTY-FIVE CENTURIES LATER, WINSTON CHURCHILL ASSURES US, DEMOCRACY HAS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR GOVERNANCE.
THE VIOLENCE IN SYRIA, THE TURBULENCE IN SUDAN, THE CHAOS IN SOMALIA AND BEYOND, ARE ALL EFFORTS TO ARRIVE AT THE STAGE WHERE LIBERIA IS – ROBUSTLY, AND AT TIMES, SACREDLY, ENGAGED IN THE PRACTICE OF DEMOCRACY; AND WE LIKE TO CREDIT OUR PRESIDENT, OUR LOVELY AND LOVING HEAD OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT, FOR SETTING THE PEACE AND PULSE FOR PATIENCE, PRUDENCE ,CLAM AND TOLERANCE, OF A SOMETIMES LESS THAN UNDERSTANDING ELECTORAL –OF WHICH I AM A PART.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER, THE LEADERSHIP OF THE HOUSE AND THE ENTIRE PLENARY INCLUDING MYSELF, WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND PROFOUND GRATITUDE TO THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE (NDI) FOR ITS CONTINUED ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION WITH THE LEGISLATURES IN CAPACITY-BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING OF THE GOVERNANCE OF OUR EMERGING DEMOCRACY.
I BELIEVE THAT THE CORDIAL AND PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP CULTIVATED BETWEEN US AND THE NDI, OVER THE YEARS, SPEAKS TO THE MUTUAL, SYMBIOTIC AND RESPECTFUL TIES WHICH SUBSIST BETWEEN ORGANS OF OUR TWO NATIONS- THE UNITED STATES AND LIBERIA.
WE WISH ALSO TO THANK THE CHINESE EMBASSY FOR THE PROPOSED ANNEXES (TWO IN NUMBER) WHICH WILL BE ERECTED TO ACCOMMODATE LEGISLATORS AND STAFFERS, AS WELL AS OTHER AUXILIARY FUNCTIONARIES. THE HOUSE’S DEMOCRACY PARTNERSHIP IS ALSO DUE OUR THANKS FOR UNDERTAKING THE TRAINING OF PERSONNEL CONSIDERED VITAL TO THE SMOOTH AND EFFECTIVE OPERATION OF THE LEGISLATURE.
MY DEAR HONORABLE, EXCELLENCES AND FRIENDS, MAY WE RISE IN OBSERVANCE OF A MINUTE OF SILENCE TO OUR FALLEN MEMBERS, HON. NELSON WAH BAH OF ELECTORAL DISTRICT NUMBER THREE, SINOE COUNTRY, AND HON. MOSES SAAH TANNAPOLIE, BOTH OF THE 53RD LEGISLATURE, AND FORMER MEMBERS, HON. MARTIN FAHNGALO OF NIMBA COUNTY AND HON. JAMES ANSU BENSEN, OF GRAND CAPE COUNTY, WHO HAD SERVED IN THE 52ND. (PAUSE AT THIS POINT, AFTERWARD CONTINUES………) ……THE GREEK PHILOSOPHER, EURIPIDES, HAS WRITTEN…… “DEATH IS A DEBT WE ALL MUST PAY.” YES, INDEED, THEY HAVE PAID DEATH OFF, BUT THEY FIRST ANSWERED THE CALL OF DUTY, AND SERVED THEIR EXAMPLE OF PATRIOTISM, NATIONALISM, LOYALTY AND DEDICATION.
FELLOW COLLEAGUES, WE NOW COME TO THE END OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE 53RD LEGISLATURE AND WE NOW CLOSE TO RETURN TO OUR PEOPLE – THE VARIOUS CONSTITUENCIES – FROM WHENCE WE DRAW OUR STRENGTH AND MANDATE TO SERVE. WE MUST NOW RETURN, CONVENE THE TOWN AND VILLAGE MEETINGS, REPORT TO THEM ON THE PAST HAPPENINGS AT THE LEGISLATURE, AND THEN LISTEN – LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY, FOR IT THEIR SAY, WHICH TOGETHER, WE SHALL ATTEMPT TO IMPLEMENT IN OUR SITTING –GOD WILLING.
I BID YOU ALL A WONDERFUL RE-UNION WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS ON THIS CONSTITUENCY BREAK AND WISH YOU ALL GOD’S SPEED AS YOU TRAVEL BACK HOME TO YOUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS.
HOWEVER, THE LEADERSHIP REMAINS, ALONG WITH THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS FROM PLENARY, REPRESENTING THE FIFTEEN COUNTRIES TO CONTINUE THE BUSINESS OF THE PEOPLE: AS GOVERNMENT NEVER CLOSES DOWN, SO THE “PEOPLE’S EYES” MUST REMAIN HERE OPEN TO SUPERVISE AND COORDINATE WITH THE EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIARY BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT.
AND ESPECIALLY, THE LEGISLATURE (HOUSE’S) COMMITTEE ON THE OIL AND GAS REFORM REMAINS ACTIVE DURING OUR ANNUAL BREAK. PURSUANT TO PLENARY’S DIRECTIVE.
FINALLY I THANK EACH ONE OF YOU HONORABLE LADY AND GENTLEMEN AGAIN FOR THE HARD WORK EXHIBITED DURING THE
FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY-THIRD. YOUR ELECTORS MAY JUSTLY BE PROUD OF THEIR CHOICE OF YOU AS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE –THE RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF; YOUR ACHIEVEMENT MAY BE REVIEWED ANY TIME BY THE PRESS, YOUR PEERS OR THE CRITICS.
AND, FELLOW COLLEAGUES, THESE WORDS OF LONG FELLOW SHOULD INSPIRED COURAGE AND COMMITMENT IN YOU WHENEVER THE NIGHT IS LONG AND DARK CLOUDS ARE HANGING LOW, AND YOU FEEL DISHEARTENED:
“THE HEIGHTS THAT GREAT MEN REACHED AND KEPT “WERE NOT ATTAINED BY SUDDEN FLIGHT; “BUT THEY, WHILE THEIR COMPANIONS SLEPT’ “WERE TOILING UPWARD IN THE NIGHT”. (LONG FELLOW)
ONCE AGAIN, I THANK YOU.