While Liberia could afford an election in which the President Ellen Johnson ran unopposed, the people of the country have neither electricity or running water.
Long the golden girl of the western banktatorships, Ellen Johnson spent the year before her election in 2006 campaigning in Liberia while drawing a healthy salary and benefits package courtesy of the United Nations Development Program.
In six years as president and hundreds of millions in western aid, the only visible benefit seems to be the profit margin of Firestone Rubber, Liberia’s #1 industry.
No electricity, but plenty of “democracy”—western style that is.
The whole recent election process in Liberia turned out to be an embarrassment for Ellen Johnson’s western handlers. The first round was so rife with ballot stuffing and fraud that the entire opposition managed to unite and boycott the final round in protest.
The international media has cooperated and turned a blind eye to the story and everyone is supposed to pretend that Liberia conducted an election and is a “democracy”.
In Africa traditional democracy and conflict resolution is based on a consensus based policy. A council of elders sits and all parties finally agree, with no one completely happy but all agreeing to accept the outcome. No winning and no losing, and everyone united rather than divided.
This is the way things worked for thousands of years and it was only the western imposition of their version of “democracy”, neocolonialism, which has brought so much murder and mayhem in Africa as a result.
As long as you hold “elections” you are welcomed with open arms by the banktators. Plenty “democracy” and no electricity seems to be the west’s solution to the suffering of Africa’s people.
Yes, the international community continue to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to a government that has no plan, no blue print, no integrity, and no concern for the thousands of Liberians that live in abject poverty. The government officials have built sprawling mansions with electricity 24 hours, pipe borne water while we schedule our activities around the availability of electricity. 30% of Liberian land is now leased to foreign developers while Liberians cannot grow enough food.
Ellen has created a dynasty of loyal supporters and relatives who drain Liberians dry. Binyah Kessely makes $15,000 a month as head of Maritime. His father created the political party that has Ellen as standard bearer. Ms. Duncan Cassell has been rewarded with the Ministry of Gender post although she has no qualification in that area but organized Ellen’s campaign in the US. Matilda Wokie Parker is head of the National Port in Liberia, the relative of ellen’s best friend. All of those who have mansions and 10 cars overnight have been renamed to her cabinet. Many are not educated or qualified but they are loyal friends of Ellen.
Her current Minister of Information Lewis Brown was Charles Taylor’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
As a Nobel Peace Prize winer, Ellen has not ever won a election on the first try.
This is the new Liberia