Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has ordered the dismissal of all political appointees in the outgoing transitional government of Gyude Bryant. She also ordered them to turn over all government property in their possession.

Frank Sainworla is radio director of our affiliate, Radio Veritas. From the Liberian capital, Monrovia, he told English to Africa reporter James Butty that many believe the action was two weeks too late. “On the sixteenth of January the mandate of the transitional government expired. So all those officials operating under that government should have considered themselves dismissed.”

Sainworla says President Sirleaf’s dismissal notice affects only political appointees – the ministers and their deputies and assistants. He says the president’s statement also called for the retrieval of all government properties, including vehicles from the outgoing officials. “The General Services Agency was mandated to effect the retrieval of all government properties and confiscate them to be used by the current government.” 

Sainworla says President Sirleaf is forging ahead with the formation of her government. But he says some people think the process is a bit too slow, particularly from the Senate side, which is conducting the confirmation hearings. He says the Senate wasted some time in going through the formalities of establishing its own rules.