President George Manneh Weah has called for the strengthening of democracy and protection in the fight against corruption in an address to world leaders while maintaining that the promotion of freedom and human rights are crucial to the maintenance of democracy.
Speaking at the ongoing Summit on Democracy being hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden, Mr. Weah said his “government commits to fighting corruption at the highest level; we will seek legislative approval to amend the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission Act to grant that institution direct prosecutorial powers.”
He explained that as part of his government’s continuing efforts in deepening the country’s democratic roots, it seeks to establish the creation of a dedicated court for the “prosecution and conviction” of public officials and other individuals and institutions engaged in corrupt practices and financial offenses.
He also used the occasion to enumerate some of the progress being made on empowering women in achieving gender equality.
“To ensure the protection of women, girls, and other vulnerable citizens from rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence, I declared rape a national emergency in 2019 and set up a national steering committee that formulated the national action plan on women, peace and security.
Mr. Weah further told the gathering that his administration has initiated talks with traditional leaders to end all forms of harmful traditional practices, including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). He indicated that he will shortly be forwarding to the Legislature an anti-FGM bill for passage into law.
The summit brings together a gathering of world leaders, civil society, and the private sector in a virtual setting to deliberate on the challenges facing democratic institutions and democracy to ponder on what can be done to strengthen the foundations of democracy around the globe.
Liberia was invited to the two-day summit because of the country’s “consistent commitment to non-violent, free and fair elections”, U.S. Ambassador Michael McCarthy said last month.
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President Weah reaffirmed this position, stating that as the country prepares for the upcoming general and presidential elections, “the time is now to assure the citizenry of government’s commitment to freeness, fairness, transparency, and accountability in the elections funding, budgeting, and processes”.
He said the participation of more women in the electoral process will be a “top priority”. The Ministry of Information issued a press release Thursday night, 9 December 2021, quoting President Weah as saying the promotion of freedom and human rights are crucial to the maintenance of democracy. https://thenewdawnliberia.com/cental-be-non-selective-in-corruption-fight/
