9 May Press Briefing Notes

Members of the Press:

• The President, last Friday, met with members of the Supreme Court bench to discuss the long delays in the adjudication of cases, including criminal and corruption cases.  The President is concerned over the delay in prosecuting these cases and is calling for the cooperation of the Judicial Branch of Government to accelerate the cases. The Justices backed the President’s concerns and promised to work with the Executive to speed up prosecution.

Reports that the President last year authorized local authorities of Maryland County to administer sassywood for ritualistic killings in the county are preposterous and absolutely without basis.  The President has at no time authorized any county officials to administer sassywood in any murder case.  The use of sassywood is prohibited under our laws, and for anyone to suggest that the President would authorize its use lacks any iota of truth and is a deliberate attempt by those involved to undermine the rule of law, using the President’s name as an alibi.  Any county officials who may have authorized the use of sassywood regarding  ritualistic killings in Harper have acted arbitrarily. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has been directed to look into the matter.

• The President, will Thursday, May 12, meet with the local and international press at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The forum will provide an opportunity for the President to brief the media on pressing domestic issues.

Accredited members of the press, including media executives, are invited to attend Thursday’s Press Conference, the first by Her Excellency this year.

The President’s attention has been drawn to persistent criticisms in some quarters of the society, particularly political circles, that her visits to the political sub-divisions of the country are a campaign ploy.  Such accusations are far from the truth and are only intended to cover up the limitations of those concerned.  They have no substantive issues to discuss as we approach the elections, and are using trivialities to shy away from the important matters affecting the country and how they intend to address them.

The President has a constitutional duty to visit all 15 political sub-divisions to meet with her people; it is an exercise she has performed since she assumed the leadership of the country.  Elections or no elections, the President will continue to perform that role.

When the campaign time reaches, we all will go on the campaign trail, and the President is looking forward it.