By Lincoln G. Peters
Cameroonian Ambassador to Liberia and Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps here, Beng’yela A. Gang recommends significant variables to the Government of Liberia and the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) for achieving genuine national peace and stability.
Delivering the keynote address at the LNBA convention in Nimba County over the weekend on the topics: Maintaining peace, post-election through adherence to the rule of law”, Amb. Gang noted that adherence to the rule of law alone is not enough to maintain peace and stability.
“The topic on which we speak today: “Maintaining the peace post-election through adherence to the rule of law” is chosen by lawyers and so, naturally, it conveys a bias in favor of the supremacy of the power and role of the rule of law in a matter as complex and cross-cutting as the maintenance of peace in any society whether post-election or otherwise. Permit me to, therefore, holistically approach while still aiming for the same assigned target” he stated.
According to the Cameroonian envoy, to infer that the quest for and maintenance of peace is such a complex and mercurial goal that the sole reliance on the rule of law alone might not be quite enough in every circumstance to ensure success.
He further indicates that his aim is not to underestimate the value of the law while speaking to lawyers and at a convention.
“My aim is merely to insistently propose that the constant pursuit or provisions of other virtues and human needs such as mutual tolerance, civic education, patriotism, inclusive development, health, and, employment must accompany the rule of law in any credible endeavor to achieve genuine national peace. It’s the expression of the respect which must be accorded to what we call in Cameroon, “Le vivre ensemble” or a kind of “live and let live” when our societies seek peace and social harmony” He explains.
Accordingly, he adds that these aspirations indeed are socioeconomic and cultural priorities and values that normally seek to be encapsulated by laws and regulations.
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He believes that these complementary humanistic variables are critical as the enacted, mechanical artifices of the law and the rule of law in ensuring peace.
The Ambassador underscores the combination that exists between sociological aspiration and legal enactment piloted by legislature, the Judiciary, and of course watched over by a vigilant and buoyant Bar Association that Liberians must, in their search for peace and progress now put their trust in this post-election period.
“In doing so”, he says, “society must remain extremely pro-active and self-proactive on the international diplomatic scene, since the late 1940s, gives us reason to learn and preach such cautions. Since 1948, the rule of law and Human Rights instruments seem to have put more and increasing, focus on civil and political rights. In this manner, such political aspects as the right to vote, freedom of expression, freedom to demonstrate against political institutions, etc seem to have claimed predominance to the detriment of other proclaimed people-center, socio-economic and cultural rights such as the rights to Education, housing, employment, and health.”
He notes that even in the Human Rights Council, some critics have perceived an unavowed hierarchy of rights in what should ordinarily be balanced corpus of equally desirable and truly universal Human Rights Priorities.
At the same time, speaking on the Liberian elections, Ambassador Gang notes that as the present convention of the LNBA is in the wake of the excellently organized and happily concluded 2023 Liberia Presidential and legislative elections, he commends Liberia for the manifestation of wisdom, and tolerance that was showcased to the world during the election.
According to him, the creditability of Liberia’s political management and social harmony has climbed quite a few notches up the ladder of contemporary, comparative analysis due to 10 October and 14 November 2023.
“In this unprecedented success, it’s clear that the willing adherence to the rule of law by diverse stakeholders both government and the governed was vital to the recent, acclaimed electoral process. But, make no mistake, it was the popular, patriotic will to avoid fraternal strife, the awareness that, whether Unity Party or the CDC finally prevailed or not, Liberia must never again be set ablaze and it was the determination that no stakeholders are so important that Liberia should return to war just to feed his ego” he noted.
He sums up that it was all these factors that saved the day, adding that it was the desire that peace should reign so that Liberian youth could enjoy planned, hopeful futures, saying that these are some of the things that spurred such electoral goodwill.
The Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) over the weekend concluded its 2023 National Convention in Ganta City, Nimba County.
The program brought together hundreds of lawyers including law professors and senior counselors-at-law, law students, members of the diplomatic community, stakeholders, and policymakers. Editing by Jonathan Browne
