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Ex-rival offered key portfolio
18/01/2006 08:22 - (SA)
Monrovia - Newly sworn-in Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has released a proposed partial cabinet list, offering a key portfolio to a former political rival and presidential aspirant.
The list of cabinet nominees is subject to confirmation by parliament.
Sirleaf, who has been wooing the opposition to work with her government, gave the key post of education to Joseph Korto, who ran for presidency in the fist round of polls, but lost dismally.
After the poor performance at the ballot, Korto rallied behind Sirleaf in the November election run-off.
Education is seen as crucial in post-war Liberia where the majority of children - who make up half of the country's 3.2 million people - are uneducated because either they were fighting in the war or had their schools destroyed.
In her inaugural address on Monday, Sirleaf urged the country's opposition "to come together to heal and rebuild the nation".
No post has been offered yet to Sirleaf's main presidential rival soccer star George Weah.
Key portfolios still to be delivered are foreign and legal affairs.
The defence portfolio went to Brownie Samukai, former police chief under the interim government of Amos Sawyer, who served the country between 1990 and 1994.
The finance ministry will be headed by Antoinette Sayeh.
Samuel Kofi Woods, a prominent Liberian human rights activist and outspoken critic of former President Charles Taylor, will take over the labour ministry.
Others named already include Walter Gwenigale for the ministry of health and Eugene Shannon in charge of lands, mines and energy.
Energy is a desperately urgent need in Liberia where the capital has run with no electricity for 14 years.
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