LIBERIA

Established as a republic in 1847, Liberia (a derision of the Latin word, liber, which means free; Liberia also signified a newfound liberation for the returned victims of the Slave Trade, and a country to govern all of its own) has been subject to political turmoil starting in 1980, and has only after the end of the Liberian civil war on 2003 begun the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure.

The gradual return of security eventually led to the free and fair legislative and presidential elections of October 2005 and the subsequent run-off in November 2005, which resulted in the inauguration of Africa’s first democratically elected female president. Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF won another term as President and a new government team was appointed and endorsed by legislature on October 2011. The new government created a National Vision: Liberia Rising 2030 that calls for transforming the economy to middle-income status by 2030. To achieve the vision, a second Poverty Reduction Strategy for 2013-17, Agenda for Transformation (AfT) was designed.

In 2017, with George WEAH President, a new chapter of the history of Liberia begun. Note the uniqueness of the ascent to power: an atypical political profile (that of a football player international career), a first democratically elected indigenous to the presidency and a first woman to the vice presidency of the country. The hopes placed in this presidential team are immense especially on the side of those who supported it: young people and the masses disadvantaged. For the first time since the end of the civil war, Liberians have organized the ballot in full. We noticed the first peaceful political power transfer in 74 Years of an elected Head of State democratically to another, which is a major step towards democratic consolidation in Liberia. Another first in the history of the country: the executive is composed of two Indigenous people Liberians (WEAH is of ancestry Kru and HOWARD-TAYLOR is Kpelle).