Donors spell out harsh consequences if anti-graft plan not agreed

"Without GEMAP, Liberia risks repeating its recent history of conflict," the group said in a statement published on Thursday.

It said if there was no deal, the European Commission would be forced to reconsider a US $44 million aid package for a nation that is still without running water and electricity more than two years after the war ended.

Global lenders like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund would not expand their programmes, and there would be little chance of Liberia being eligible for US $3 billion of debt relief, the International Contact Group said.

"The US government will be forced to reconsider financing the training for a new military force because without GEMAP, the new military force might not get paid," the statement said.

"Without GEMAP, it will continue to be difficult to convince the UN Security Council that Liberia can fairly and transparently manage the diamond and timber industries so that sanctions can be lifted," the International Contact Group said.

Transitional Chairman Gyude Bryant says he will not sign the GEMAP

Transitional Chairman Gyude Bryant says he will not sign the GEMAP.
GEMAP is the Economic Governance Management Program.
The GEMAP is seeking reforms in all sectors of governance in Liberia.
Chairman Bryant said the document needs corrections to reflect the truth.
He promised to sign the GEMAP when the corrections are made.
The chairman told the nation, the international community has not donated a cent to the transitional government.
He explained the over three hundred million dollars from the international community was managed by its experts.
Chairman Bryant warned against threat from the international community.

"No Other Candidate Can Deliver What I can,” says Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

When she took the podium to speak, Ellen was in her best elements and delivered a poignant speech that her audience seemed to understand and relate to. Walking up and down the length of podium, rarely stopping to read her notes, she spoke about education, fairness, and good governance without going into a lecture none attacking any candidate. She sounded like a person poised to win. The verb was there, the stride was there and the speech was delivered on a stomp mode.

The UP candidate said “every platform’ offers great promises, well worded projects. ‘We are not coming here to promise you things we cannot deliver, what we can deliver is a government that will be accountable to you, a government that would put an end to the imperial president.” Continuing in the same mode, she added that the government under her leadership would wage another kind of war, “war on poverty, war to improve health care, war to improve education. We have to move this nation forward so that we can all be proud of what we are and who we are.”

Mrs. Sirleaf seemed very upbeat and the audience of students, faculty and university workers responded in kind. They could relate not only to what she was saying but also to her as a person. And it looked like she was enjoying herself tremendously. A colleague journalist who has followed her campaign almost everywhere and heard her speak on several occasions said that he had never seen “the Ol’ mom” speak and move like this.

Although she made some campaign promises, Mrs. Sirleaf was quick to say there was no magic wand to remove all the problems the country is facing. “It is going to be difficult and we all will have to work hard to make things happen.” Such a candid phrase touched the audience and many in the crowd stood up and cheered, as if to show their readiness for the task.

Thousands of Ellenites Swarm Margibi, Bong Counties

In her characteristic fluency, Mrs. Sirleaf has been expending the surging political capital to articulate her vision of devolution of power in a Unity Party-led government. “The time has come for Liberians to have a say in who becomes their president, representatives, senators, superintendents and mayors,” she told one of the gatherings, adding, “We in the Unity Party do not speak mere words without actions. The Party’s senatorial and legislative candidates were voted for by citizens of their counties through the party’s county conventions held in their respective counties.”

Amidst thunderous applauses, she further noted, “You see, your legislators and senators will now be answerable to you, because they know that you do truly have the power to decide whether they represent you or not.” The up-roar of applause became even louder that the female political icon stood smiling at her supporters and admirers, the report said