Ellen Vows to Fight Imperial Presidency
By: Lewis Glay
Forum
Monrovia, Liberia
Distributed by
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
Madam Sirleaf said her government has the mandate to reconcile and reunite Liberians who have been plagued by prolonged civil war over the years.
She told the 23rd lawmakers that government is not a place where people go to accrue wealth at the disadvantage of the governed.
Madam Sirleaf, speaking Monday at the official certification of elected officials of the 2005 presidential and legislative elections at the Centennial Pavilion, vowed to work assiduously to give equal opportunity and social equity to all Liberians irrespective of status.
She termed the task as being herculean, given the long years of bad governance being practiced by past leaderships, but maintained that “together the process of changing the nation for the better can be overcome.”
The President-elect also assured the youth of the need for education, training and skill to make them useful in taking over the affairs of the state in the future.
According to her, balanced development for every part of Liberia with specific reference to “Southeast” will be prioritized.
She vowed to also fight against what she called “imperial presidency” which has been the legacy of past administrations against the wishes and aspirations of the Liberian people for too long.
Madam Sirleaf thanked the international community for standing by Liberia in a bid to restore genuine democracy to the country being torn apart by civil conflict.
All elected representatives except for one from Rivercess County; senators including the President and Vice President were certificated by the National Elections Commission (NEC).
Local and international organizations that morally or financially supported the 2005 elections were also certificated.
Transitional Chairman Gyude Bryant at the ceremony said he endorsed the mandate of the National Elections Commission (NEC) to certificate the President and Vice President-elect including members of the parliament in order to move the Liberian peace process forward.
Chairman Bryant used the opportunity to call on CDC George Weah to accept the result of the November 8 run-off election and join the elected government in the interest of unity, reconciliation and reconstruction of the war ravaged nation.
