By: Varney Dukuly
MONROVIA: The Standard-bearer of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Alexander Benedict Cummings, alias “ABC,” has committed to establishing the much-anticipated War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia, if he is elected President of Liberia on the October 10, 2023.
Mr. Cummings said, as President, he will establish the Court, drawing experiences from other major African countries including South Africa, Sierra Leone and Rwanda, aimed at designing a unique way for the Liberian context.
“So, we are committed to setting up a War and Economics Crimes Court,” Cummings said in an interview with Radio France International.
“So that people who perpetrated violence against Liberians in the form of war crimes, economic crimes; we want to make sure we prosecute them,” the CPP Standard-bearer told the world.
Since the end of the fourteen years civil conflict in Liberia that killed an estimated two hundred and fifty thousand persons, predominately women, children and the elderly, none of the individuals and groups bearing the greatest responsibility of the bloody civil war has been brought to justice.
There has been a culture of impunity amid cries for justice by victims and their families.
Analysts say, successive Liberian governments including the administration of President George Weah, have failed to establish the war and economic crimes court despite repeated assurances to do so.
In the lead up to the October 10 Presidential and Legislative elections, constitution of the court, Cummings said, is something that should be done quickly.
Cummings’s ultimate desire for the court is to see victims and families of the civil conflict get justices.
This move, he said, is something that needs a time limit, as opposed to just leaving it “open-ended.”
On Sunday, after delivering remarks marking the official climax of the CPP campaign activities, Cummings said his administration will prioritize the young people who will be the drivers of every well-meaning effort.
“So, all of our efforts are around the broader up population, which is around 65%,” said Cummings.
“So, this is where economic job creation, use of technology to promote entrepreneurship focus on vocational training for young people. All of these things are meant to focus on the young people,” he stressed.
The CPP political leader whose vice running mate is a woman formally guaranteed his support for women empowerment, if he is elected on October 10th.
The provision of loans to Market women to grow their businesses and strengthening the courts to go after Sexual and Agenda-Based Violence (SGBV) cases are major areas contained in the CPP’s policy document on women.
Cummings: “So two key constituents for us women and youth and many of our policies are address primarily at these two concerns.”
One issue that has been widely discussed in Liberia is corruption. He also vowed that the Cummings-Brumskine administration will punish anyone caught stealing from the Liberian people.
He stressed that the only reason why stealing continues in Liberia is because there is no consequences.
“If you are caught stealing from the Liberian people, we will seize your asset,” he added.
Another possibility, Cummings is seeking is to improve the living wage of public sector workers.
“Today our teachers, our civil servants, our police people, and military people by the middle of the month, they run out of money to support themselves,” said Cummings.
“So, they resort to taking money to change grades to selling the drugs in the hospitals. We will pay them a living wage so as to reduce the need for stealing. We will punish them if they do it,” Cummings added.
