MONROVIA, Aug 7: President Charles Taylor on Thursday kept Liberian lawmakers in the dark over whether he will quit office and go into exile as thousands of Liberians cheered west African peacekeepers on their first patrols in the war-riven capital.

The embattled president stayed away from a key joint session of parliament debating his pledge to step down on Monday and go to Nigeria, which has offered asylum to the leader, indicted for war crimes by a UN-backed court in neighbouring Sierra Leone.

An irritable Taylor told CNN Thursday that he resented massive international pressure on him to leave Liberia, but reiterated his vow to step down and hand over power to his deputy, Vice President Moses Blah.

“Why are people in so much of a hurry for me to leave my homeland?” Taylor, who was flanked by Blah, said, adding: “We are not here to play games. I have it in writing physically. The vice president will be sworn in on Monday.”

“This morning I was on the phone with President (John) Kufuor of Ghana, a few days ago I was on the phone with (Nigerian President Olusegun) Obasanjo. ... I can assure you that what I have said to Obasanjo and Kufuor this morning will happen.”

Meanwhile as soldiers from the peacekeeping force known as ECOMIL made their way into Monrovia from the international airport, thousands of excited civilians greeted them shouting “We want peace!”

The first patrols included troops on three armoured cars, two trucks and a light vehicle.

Nigerian General Festus Okonkwo, the commander of the west African peacekeeping force, told AFP that for the time being the patrols would be staged only in the government-held southern and eastern zones of the seaside capital, besieged by rebels for over two months.

He said the force would start patrols in the rebel-held northern area next week.—AFP