Ellen
Takes Bold Step; Apologizing
for Comment
Philadelphia,
Pa. April 24, 2005.
Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf,
The Unity Party presidential
candidate in the October
2005 elections met with
cross-section of Liberians
on Saturday, April 23,
2005 to speak about
her vision of post-war
Liberia. Mrs. Johnson-Sirleaf
until recently headed
the Governance Reform
Commission setup in
the framework of the
Accra Peace Accord.
After speaking about
the current state of
affairs in the country,
the Unity Party candidate
touched on the many
ills that have impeded
the development of the
country.
Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
used the occasion to
speak candidly about
certain comments attributed
to her during the civil
war and went on to apologize
to the Liberian people.
These were statements
she is reported to have
made in a BBC radio
interview in 1990 as
battles waged around
Monrovia between government
forces, loyal to then
President Samuel Kanyon
Doe and forces of former
rebel leader, Charles
Taylor for control of
the capital. Mrs. Sirleaf
described as "stupid"
the comments she made
in her response to a
question Robin White
asked her in an interview
15-years ago. In her
recollection, the BBC
journalist had said
to her: "Taylor's
forces are shelling
the mansion; Doe is
refusing to leave; the
mansion could be burned,"
and she remembers commenting:
"Well if the mansion
is burned we will rebuild
it."
"It
was a stupid statement
I made that I shouldn't
have made no matter
the situation, and I
apologize for that;
I made a mistake we
all make mistakes; I
am not perfect."
the Harvard trained
economist told the audience,
which in an apparent
appreciation of the
admission, erupted into
a standing ovation.
The UP standard bearer
also admitted supporting
Mr. Taylor in the early
stage of the war, but
that the support, which
was channeled through
a US-based Liberian
political advocacy group,
The Association for
Constitutional Democracy
was limited in scale.
However she added that
the Association stopped
any support to Mr. Taylor
when it became obvious
that the war of liberation
was turning into one
of destruction, indiscriminate
killing of innocent
people." She added
that "When reports
reached us that former
political allies of
ours, including the
late Jackson F. Doe
and Gabriel Kpolleh
had been killed by Taylor
forces, we cut off our
support," the presidential
contender recalled.
Mrs. Sirleaf regretted
the indiscriminate killings
of Liberians and other
foreign nationals by
Mr. Taylor's forces,
and expressed the hope
that Liberians can begin
a process of national
healing and genuine
reconciliation in an
effort to unite the
country.
The event, organized
by the Philadelphia-based
non-partisan support
group, Liberians for
Ellen (LIFE), was later
followed by a fund-raising
dinner.
After Philadelphia,
Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
was the guest of Liberians
in Minnesota where she
made similar remarks
amidst thunderous applause.
The UP candidate has
been drawing considerable
attention in Liberian
political circles in
the United States since
she arrived here recently
to serve as keynote
speaker at the All Liberia
National Conference
in Columbia, Maryland.
The
candor with which she
has been laying out
her vision for Liberia
has rejuvenated her
political base, and
is drawing an emerging
non-partisan support
among Liberians at home
and abroad.
Speaking to a crowd
of well wishers and
supporters recently
at a town hall meeting
organized by the Liberian
Community Association
of Staten Island, in
New York, Mrs. Sirleaf
said:"Our agenda
is very clear: we'd
like to see a renewed
Liberia. We'd like to
see our country start
again and together we
can do it!"
Mrs.
Sirleaf, a leading contender
in the October elections
has met with Liberians
in a number of states
including Maryland,
New York and New Jersey.
The Chairman of LIFE,
Mr. Amara Konneh said
that his group is "very
excited at the steady
progress made in a relatively
short period of time,"
adding, "I believe,
the emerging non-partisan
support for Mrs. Sirleaf,
is the beginning of
the unfolding of a bigger
picture on the political
landscape of Liberia."
The
last leg of Mrs Sirleaf's
US tour will take her
to California.
Mrs.
Sirleaf was selected
last month in Liberia
as the Unity Party's
candidate
for the upcoming Presidential
elections in October
2005.
