The Liberian government is set to announce Friday the names of acting ministers to replace President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s cabinet.
The president Wednesday dismissed most of her Cabinet saying she wanted "a fresh slate.”
The Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Edward McClain, was the only Cabinet member allowed to keep his job.
Presidential press secretary Cyrus Badio told VOA the acting ministers to be announced Friday are deputy ministers from the various ministries.
“They are deputy ministers coming from within the same ministries, individuals who are equally competent to administer the affairs of the ministries where they come from,” he said.
Badio confirmed a number of the cabinet ministers who were put on administrative leave have already begun submitting their letters of intent to leave.
“From the information I’ve gathered from the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, some of the cabinet ministers have already started sending their letters of intent in compliance with the president’s directives,” Badio said.
But, Badio could not confirm or deny whether one of those submitting their letters of intent to leave was the foreign minister.
“I do not have that information readily but, if she did, it will just be in compliance with the president’s directives for cabinet ministers to take an administrative leave. As you know, when the president issued the directives, she said cabinet ministers would have the option to seek other career opportunities. So, if the foreign minister did, it would just be in line with what the president has requested,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Sirleaf is scheduled to arrive in Washington Friday on what Badio described as a semi-official visit to the United States.
“The president will be in the United States for a few days. She will be meeting with United States government officials and business partners. She will also be addressing Liberian communities, especially that in Staten Island (New York) as well as (receive) a recognition from Glamour Magazine, and then she will travel to Accra, Ghana for a conference on women empowerment,” Badio said.
