Sirleaf vows to restore hope

2006-01-16 08:37

Monrovia - Liberian president-elect Ellen Johnson Sirleaf vowed on Sunday on the eve of her inauguration to restore hope to the country founded by freed US slaves that has been battered by years of civil war.

"The women of Liberia and the women of Africa, we must ... succeed and we will," she told hundreds of women who came to support Liberia's first democratically elected president in nearly a decade.

"We will succeed because we know we represent your aspirations and your expectations, we will succeed because our people in Liberia need success," she said, speaking at a rally organised by women's groups from Liberia and west Africa.

Sirleaf promised to restore childhood hope, lost by nearly half of the population that has known nothing but war.

"We will make our children smile again, we will give them back their youth and their future. We will make, like, and be proud of Liberia," she said.

Sirleaf faces the seemingly insurmountable task of rebuilding a country shaken by more than a decade of armed civil conflict, has suffered a severe brain drain, and is confronted with millions of uneducated youths.

Basic infrastructure has been left to collapse and many Liberians are hopeful that their new president will restore electricity and running water to their homes.

'Sensitivity of a mother'

The 67-year-old Harvard graduate, who won a second round of elections in November against international soccer star George Weah, gave a proud speech.

"We bring to this responsibility the competence of professionalism, we bring to this responsibility the tenets of democracy, we also bring to this responsibility, the sensitivity of a mother," she told the crowd at Antoinette Tubman stadium in Monrovia.

"She has the attributes to make things work for us - transparency and accountability," said Charles Kortimer, a civil engineering student from the University of Liberia, who was outside the stadium.

"I am confident that she will bring back Liberia's pride," said Queenette Thor, who attended the rally.

Women's groups from across western and eastern Africa, Europe, the United States and Canada also took part.

After her speech, Sirleaf danced with the colourfully-dressed women in the grounds of the stadium.

Monrovia was on Sunday putting final touches to preparations for Sirleaf's inauguration for a six-year term.

Senior American and African political leaders were due to attend her swearing-in on Monday as Africa's first elected female head of state.

- AFP