IPNEWS-Monrovia: In January 2018 former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf peacefully turned over to George Weah, winner of the 2017 elections, having served as President of Liberia for 12 consecutive years.
Prior to the 2017 presidential and legislative, President Sirleaf was accused by her own Unity Party partisans of not supporting her Vice President of 12 years, Joseph Boakai, but instead allegedly favored the then opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) candidate, George Weah to succeed to her.
President Sirleaf in her last address to the UN General Assembly, she told the world that it was time for generational change in Liberia, so as her tenure came to end, she would prefer for the younger generation to take over the mantle of authority in her native Liberia.
That statement by President Sirleaf in September of 2017 angered many of her UP partisans, who had hoped that she would publicly endorse her Vice President Boakai for 12 years for the 2017 elections. But it turned out the other way as she was accused of secretly supporting CDC candidate, George Weah.
President Sirleaf has never publicly responded to her accusers on whether she supported CDC candidate Weah in the 2017 elections, neither have the CDC admitted to the accusation.
In the end, Weah and CDC defeated Boakai and his UP in a presidential run-off, following heated first round of voting, as none of the parties could out rightly obtain the 50 + 1 percept votes needed to clinch the presidency.
And so in January 2018, President Sirleaf peacefully turned over power to President-elect, George Weah at a colorful ceremony held at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex. Weah was inaugurated and promised not to let the Liberian people down, as he vowed to clamp down on corruption, human rights violations, ensure peace and security; as well as promising that “Liberians will not be spectators in their own economy.”
President Sirleaf Disappointed
But five years into President Weah administration which has been characterized by reports of alleged broad day corruption, en massing wealth by public officials without remorse, lack of good governance, among many others, the former Liberian president speaking at the World Women Peace Forum 2022, ahead of President Joe Biden’s US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington, DC, few days ago after rumors spread on social media that she had passed, reiterated her last comments at the 2017 UN General Summit when she proffered general change.
Sitting on a panel of discussants, including United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former President Sirleaf first commended US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for reconvening the United States-African Leaders’ Summit which was hosted by former US President Barack Obama in 2014 but she could not attend due to the deadly Ebola virus that struck Liberia and neighboring countries.
Mrs. Sirleaf said she was glad that President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris have decided to host Summit, where she hopes it will bring African leaders together in place on the global stage. “I hope it will be straight forward in telling our leaders what is expected of them, recognizing where so many have indeed moved their countries forward; and have achieve a lot of their development goals.”
She however lamented that, “But for those who are determined that they will hold on to office thereby sabotaging the future of our young citizens, need to be told that we must all have our chance to be on the scene, do what we can do and pass it on, let somebody else do it for the country after you have ended your constitutional time given.”
Not anyone seemed to be more disappointed than Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf after she turned over power in 2017. Mrs. Sirleaf then admitted guilt that she was miserable when she turned over to George Weah.
“I know I faced disappointment when I passed it on. I got to tell you that. Sometimes I had to stop and say, ‘did I do the right thing’,” she asked herself but warns, that discontent must not be the reason that African leaders longed for their stay.
“I know there is disappointment too, I feel there is disappointment when I passed it on. I have to tell you that. Somehow you can stop and ask yourself did I do the right thing? But it was the right thing to do. And what has happened after turning power over cannot be excuse not to follow the rules and regulations. We must do is proffer a better succession plan so that we can make sure there is continuity in efforts, in progress and that I think all of our leaders should be encouraged and must think in that way. There is always a good succession, continuity if it is properly planned and exercised rightly. So I think that where I stand.”
