In the 2008 Christian Science Monitor article "Persistent Corruption Threatens Liberian Stability" by Tristan McConnell, the dire problem of corruption in the recovering nation is addressed. With the election of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as president in 2006, many believed that Liberia's situation would improve with a new and stable president. While this is a widely believed notion, Tristan McConnell disagrees and argues that "widespread corruption threatens to undermine recent gains." While there have been advancements, the problem is still very apparent.
In a list of 180 countries, Transparency International ranked Liberia as the 42nd worst. This statistic is troubling for those who have tried to ameliorate the situation. With the leadership of President Johnson-Sirleaf, citizens hoped for a stable government but with the disturbing news of email exchanges implicating the former minister Willis Knuckles and the current minister in 2008 Estrada Bernard accepting bribes from the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry, many were discouraged. Liberia's Auditor General John Morlu even declared that the President "presided over a regime three times more corrupt than that of her predecessor." With misconduct present in such highly respected government positions, Liberians fear the outbreak of yet another tumultuous civil war.
Following the scandal with the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry, an Anti-Corruption Commission was started which removed corrupt civil servants and ministers from their positions. Even after the civil war, the corruption in Liberia is unsettling. People close to the President have been caught for their own corrupt actions that put Liberia in a more difficult position. It is vital for the political figures to stay away from it in order to get the nation to put it in the past. The President needs to take greater measures for protecting the country and the peacekeeping efforts. It is important that the government recognizes the downfalls and works hard to fix them because if it continues, the breeding ground for conflict will grow as well.
In a list of 180 countries, Transparency International ranked Liberia as the 42nd worst. This statistic is troubling for those who have tried to ameliorate the situation. With the leadership of President Johnson-Sirleaf, citizens hoped for a stable government but with the disturbing news of email exchanges implicating the former minister Willis Knuckles and the current minister in 2008 Estrada Bernard accepting bribes from the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry, many were discouraged. Liberia's Auditor General John Morlu even declared that the President "presided over a regime three times more corrupt than that of her predecessor." With misconduct present in such highly respected government positions, Liberians fear the outbreak of yet another tumultuous civil war.
Following the scandal with the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry, an Anti-Corruption Commission was started which removed corrupt civil servants and ministers from their positions. Even after the civil war, the corruption in Liberia is unsettling. People close to the President have been caught for their own corrupt actions that put Liberia in a more difficult position. It is vital for the political figures to stay away from it in order to get the nation to put it in the past. The President needs to take greater measures for protecting the country and the peacekeeping efforts. It is important that the government recognizes the downfalls and works hard to fix them because if it continues, the breeding ground for conflict will grow as well.
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