Liberian President Ellen JohnsonSirleaf's long-awaited testimony before the country's Truth and ReconciliationCommission (TRC) finally took place Thursday. The President hadbeen accused by others testifying before the commission of soliciting financialsupport for former President Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front ofLiberia (NPFL) rebels to overthrow President Samuel K. Doe.
Massa Washington, a member of the TRC, told VOA PresidentSirleaf admitted being a sympathizer of the cause to overthrow Samuel Doe butthat she was never a member of the rebel group.
"Thepresident did state that there was no time that she was ever in militaryuniform. But she did admit that yes she visited Mr. Taylor in the early days inNimba County. She also clarified that she has never being a member of NPFL buthad been a sympathizer. She wasn't with them when they formed the NPFL; she wasnever part of any of their meeting. She's not an executive of the NPFL, neverwas. However she sympathized like a lot of people were doing at that time, andin so doing she tried to solicit moral assistance for the cause of the NPFL butnot necessarily as an NPFL founder or executive," she said.
PresidentSirleaf's appearance before the commission had been on and off. At one pointand after expressing her desire to appear, the president said she did not wantto create a spectacle and would prefer narrating her role in the war in a book.
MassaWashington said the Truth Commission is pleased now that the president hasfinally testified.
"Weare actually glad she testified. You know the president is the number 1 citizenof the land, and the TRC process is a key component of the Accra ComprehensivePeace Agreement that brought in this new government. But it enhances the ruleof law. We wanted to make sure that at this particular point in time that noone was above the law," Washington said.
Shedenied the Commission kept President Sirleaf's appearance in secrecy byallowing only a hand-picked group of journalists to witness the President'stestimony, and also for not broadcasting the testimony live as the commissionhad been doing with most of its hearings.
"Thetestimony was not carried live. It was part of a special arrangement toaccommodate the office of the president. Under the constitution, we are obligedto show respect for the presidency. So the president wasn't comfortableappearing at the commission at the Centennial Pavilion. She did not want thebigger crowd. As you know sometime the crowd there can be a bit rowdy, and forsecurity reasons she felt comfortable coming to the offices of the TRC, so thecommission decided to work along with her. There was an array of journalistsfrom all sectors of media. And so the media coverage was not really restrictedper se. The space couldn't accommodate every journalist in the land. There wererecordings. As we speak now those recordings are being played on the radio forthe benefit of the general public," Washington said.