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CNN Sunday Morning
Taylor Sets Date, Time to Step Down
Aired August 03, 2003 - 07:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Liberian President Charles Taylor has finally agreed to leave office amid increased fighting and pressure from the United States, the U.N., other West African countries.
Jeff Koinange has the details now. He is in Monrovia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The date, Monday, August 11, 2003, exactly six years and one week to the day he was inaugurated as Liberia's 21st president is the day Charles Taylor says he will finally step down.
CHARLES TAYLOR, PRESIDENT, LIBERIA: Everything that we've said about resigning and leaving will happen.
KOINANGE: It was the news the whole world had been waiting for with much anticipation. Despite earlier calls by leaders of the region for him to step down three days after peacekeepers were on the ground, Mr. Taylor instead chose to set his own agenda and his own timetable.
TAYLOR: 11:59 a.m. on Monday, I'll step down and the new guy must be soon in by mid day on that Monday.
KOINANGE: Liberia's national legislature will decide next week if the vice president or the speaker of the house will assume control. Rebel leaders call the announcement a welcome move that was long overdue.
It was also good news for regional foreign ministers and officials of the economic community of West African states or ECOWAS, who had spent the night in this war ravaged capitol, intent on telling Mr. Taylor how and when to step down.
This also paves the way for the long awaited and long overdue peacekeepers expected on the ground in just a matter of hours.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's take one thing at a time. The troops will arrive. The resignation will happen. They others are irreversible processes. They have started and we have to keep the momentum.
KOINANGE: A momentum that should see the eventual deployment of U.S. troops on the ground in Monrovia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the deployment will be a very positive step forward.
KOINANGE (on camera): And so finally, the dice has been cast. President Taylor has set his own date for stepping down. Peacekeepers will be on the ground in just a matter of hours. And one of Africa's most troubled nations takes a step back from the edge of a cliff, although not quite out of the woods just yet.
Jeff Koinange, CNN, Monrovia, Liberia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 3, 2003 - 07:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Liberian President Charles Taylor has finally agreed to leave office amid increased fighting and pressure from the United States, the U.N., other West African countries.
Jeff Koinange has the details now. He is in Monrovia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The date, Monday, August 11, 2003, exactly six years and one week to the day he was inaugurated as Liberia's 21st president is the day Charles Taylor says he will finally step down.
CHARLES TAYLOR, PRESIDENT, LIBERIA: Everything that we've said about resigning and leaving will happen.
KOINANGE: It was the news the whole world had been waiting for with much anticipation. Despite earlier calls by leaders of the region for him to step down three days after peacekeepers were on the ground, Mr. Taylor instead chose to set his own agenda and his own timetable.
TAYLOR: 11:59 a.m. on Monday, I'll step down and the new guy must be soon in by mid day on that Monday.
KOINANGE: Liberia's national legislature will decide next week if the vice president or the speaker of the house will assume control. Rebel leaders call the announcement a welcome move that was long overdue.
It was also good news for regional foreign ministers and officials of the economic community of West African states or ECOWAS, who had spent the night in this war ravaged capitol, intent on telling Mr. Taylor how and when to step down.
This also paves the way for the long awaited and long overdue peacekeepers expected on the ground in just a matter of hours.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's take one thing at a time. The troops will arrive. The resignation will happen. They others are irreversible processes. They have started and we have to keep the momentum.
KOINANGE: A momentum that should see the eventual deployment of U.S. troops on the ground in Monrovia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the deployment will be a very positive step forward.
KOINANGE (on camera): And so finally, the dice has been cast. President Taylor has set his own date for stepping down. Peacekeepers will be on the ground in just a matter of hours. And one of Africa's most troubled nations takes a step back from the edge of a cliff, although not quite out of the woods just yet.
Jeff Koinange, CNN, Monrovia, Liberia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
