cental

Tuesday, February 9, 2010: The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia wishes to express its dismay and dissatisfaction over statement made by the President of Liberia during the convention of the Unity Party (UP) in Gbarnga.

CENTAL believes that the statement that Ministers should employ UP partisans is counter productive to the reform of the civil service and sets a bad precedent in a bid to strengthen democracy and institutionalize fairness and transparency in government.

CENTAL is alarmed that the President has indicated, “Corruption is enemy number one” and would proceed to institutionalize patronage, which is a form of corruption.  Liberia has suffered from patronage and nepotism throughout its history and the current Administration emphasized that previous governments distended the public sector with friends, partisans and individuals that did not join the civil service through a competitive process. This government should not commit the same vices.

CENTAL has reviewed comments from various spokespersons and finds their defense a façade to divert from the true intend of the statement. If the President is committed to reform as she professes, then recruitment to the civil service should be based on competence and not partisanship. This call emphasizes that in the event public sector jobs are available, UP partisans must be preferred to other Liberians.

CENTAL is concerned that in a bid for re-election the President may want to reverse numerous gains in reforms to maintain power. As we approach the 2011 elections, the promise of jobs to partisans may only force destitute Liberians who are not partisans of the UP to seek membership in an attempt to get public service jobs. This is bad for our democracy and tantamount to “vote buying or giving rice for vote.”

CENTAL calls on the President to refrain from statements that promote corruption and division. A ruling class that seeks its own interest while the rest of the people live in poverty has long undermined Liberia growth and development.