Monrovia — George Weah was a man of many surprises throughout his presidency, but his early concession to former Vice President Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party after the November 14 run-off election did not come as a surprise, it came as a shock to many, both locally and internationally. The incumbent succumbed his seat to a losing margin of 1.28 percent of the total valid votes.
In his concession speech, Pres. Weah noted that though his party, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) had lost the election, Liberians in general had won. "This is the time for graciousness in defeat," he said.
Both the October 10 election and its subsequent run-off on November 14 have been described by local and international observers as peaceful, credible and transparent.
It is the first general and presidential elections to be held in the absence of international peacekeepers since the end of the civil war in 2003.
Having conceded the election, President Weah again wasted no time in issuing Executive Order 123 for the establishment of the Joint Presidential Transitional Team (JPTT) which has been clothed with the mandate to ensure the facilitating the smooth transfer of power from the current Coalition for Democratic Change government to the newly elected administration.
The formation of the Joint Presidential Transitional Team was introduced by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in on December 25, 2017 through Executive Order 91.
Acting under Chapter 2, Article 5(c) of the Constitution, Madam Sirleaf established the JPTT to establish mechanism for the proper management and orderly transfer of executive power from this current administration to the incoming President since the country at the time had not had any transfer of power in over 70 years.
President Weah opted to follow the steps and appointed the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dean of the Cabinet, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Minister of Justice, Minister of National Defense, and Minister of State for Presidential Affairs. Additionally, key positions have been assigned to ministries and agencies crucial to the functioning of the Liberian government.
President Weah also invited President-elect Joseph Boakai to designate 20 Liberian citizens to the JPTT. This move aims to ensure diverse perspectives in facilitating the transition process.
The Co-Chairmanship of the JPTT will be jointly held by the Incumbent President and the President-Elect. In the absence of President Weah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dean of the Cabinet will act as Co-Chairperson.
President-elect Boakai has also designated 20 prominent Liberian citizens to the JPTT, ensuring diverse perspectives in the transition process. The appointed members include Lusinee Kamara, Louise Kpoto, Cllr. Cooper Kruah, MacDella Cooper, Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo, Samuel Kofi Woods II, Dr. Augustine Konneh, Boima Kamara, Rev. Luther Tarpeh, Darbah Vapilah, Edward Appleton, John Morlu Jr., Sam Gaye, Mr. Sahr Johnny, Noah Zawu Gibson, Sara Beyslow Nyanti, Amara Konneh, Gemie Horace-Kollie, Wilmot Paye, and Jacob Smith.
The team comprises well-experienced individuals in diverse areas, leading many to believe that the composition mirrors his potential cabinet. However, concerns arise that this team represents a reincarnation of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf era under Boakai's leadership, given that some key members were part of the Sirleaf cabinet.
"We're transitioning, but we're actually going back to the past because we're beginning to see the very faces, we criticized in the past under the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's regime. Maybe, Liberians have forgotten so soon the hardship, corruption and neglect experienced during that regime. We cannot afford to repeat that," said Emmanuel Jacobs, a resident of Paynesville and a student at the African Methodist Episcopal University.
The skepticism expressed by Jacobs suggests a fear of continuity rather than genuine transition, raising questions about Boakai's commitment to addressing the shortcomings of the past.
But Natasha Bailey argues that the composition of the team which reflects inclusivity is a fulfilment of Boakai's promise that he would form a "responsible and accountable" government.
"In his victory speech, he promised us that he would form a responsible government. And when you look at those he has appointed to the transitional team, you can tell that means it. These are responsible and well-respected individuals in our society. These are role models and people we can look up to," said Bailey who identified as a civil servant said.
Bailey's perspective suggests a belief in Boakai's commitment to creating positive change and building a government characterized by responsibility and accountability. The emphasis on the reputation and respectability of the team members implies that Boakai's choices are aligned with his promise to form a government that can be trusted and admired by the public.
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By the end of the Sirleaf era in 2017, Liberia was ranked 122/180 in the corruption index with a score of 31/100, according to Transparency International. This rank was a minus six points score from the previous year. As the Weah-led administration is exiting, the country's current corruption rank is 142/180 scoring 26/100, according to the 2022 Transparency International Corruption Index Report.
According to Transparency International, a country's score is the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0-100, where 0 means highly corrupt and 100 means very clean.
This means, President Weah's leaves a worse corruption index compared to the Sirleaf exit as Transparency International ratings.
Liberia's GDP growth rate in 2022 was 4.81%. This was driven by increased spending on infrastructure and growth in mining and construction. However, growth was slower than in 2021 due to the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. When Pres. Weah took over, the economic growth was projected at 2.5 percent
