Liberian President Ellen JohnsonSirleaf says she wants to meet with members of the Truth and ReconciliationCommission (TRC) to discuss what the president's spokesman called issues withinthe commission.
The announcement came as the TRC released Volume I of itsfinal report.
The Commission was set upto investigate the root causes of the Liberian civil war and the subsequenthuman rights violations and corruption and economic crimes that might have beencommitted between 1979 and 2003.
In the first volume of its preliminary report,the TRC recommended the setting up of a criminal court to try individualsand armed groups that the TRC would determine were responsible for the'egregious' domestic crimes and 'gross' human rights violations.
MassaWashington, a member of the TRC, told VOA thecommission is concerned the President's intention to meet with its members wasannounced in the media, contrary to previous meetings.
"Wehave met with the president in the past on several occasions. As a matter offact she being president of the country, we do meet with her every now and thento update her on the process. What we are concerned about is that our meetingswith the president have never been a matter of public announcement before weeven receive the invitation or the information that the president is availableand would like to meet with us. So why is a presidential press secretary nowannouncing our meeting with the president, especially at a time that we arefacing some challenges," she said.
Inthe first volume of its preliminary report, the TRC recommends the setting up of a criminal court to try individuals andarmed groups that the TRC would determine were responsible for the 'egregious'domestic crimes and 'gross' human rights violations.
Washington saidthe purpose of the court would be to ensure justice and address impunity.
"We havedecided that prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction and other formsof public sanctions are desirable to promote justice, peace and security,foster genuine national reconciliation and combat impunity, specifically, weare recommending a prosecution mechanism. For example, we might determine thata criminal court with competent jurisdiction to adjudicate criminalresponsibility for individuals, armed groups and other entities that the TRCdetermines were responsible for egregious domestic crimes, gross violations ofhuman rights were appropriate," Washington said.
She dismissedcriticism by some that recommending criminal prosecution for perpetrators maygo against the call for national reconciliation.
"There's no wayyou will have reconciliation without addressing the issue of justice, withoutaddressing what victims feel. And everywhere we went engaging the people ofLiberia in the 15 counties and also in the Diaspora, people want a form ofaccountability. People want to be ensured that what happened here will nothappen again. And the TRC Act says we should look into the issue of impunity.Impunity has played a very important role in the level and kinds of violationsthat were perpetrated against innocent people," she said.
The TRC'spreliminary report Volume I also called for the establishment of a NationalPalava Hut Forum as a useful tool for peace-building and nationalreconciliation.
Washington saidthe TRC wanted to incorporate in its work the traditional method of resolvingconflicts.
"We kind ofrealized that we have our own traditional method and means of resolvingconflicts, and we wanted to make sure that we are sensitive to our own culture.We know very well also that it is not possible recommend prosecution in thatstandardized form of jurisprudence for everybody. So we want to incorporate ourown traditional means of resolving conflicts into our work so that way we coverall of our people," Washington said.
She also saidthe TRC will recommend that reparations be made to individuals, groups,entities or communities.