Monrovia - Since the inauguration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in January of 2012, many Liberians have been eager to see her make right on her promise to unite the country after failing to do so during her first term.

With the announcement of the appointment of soccer legend George Weah as Peace Ambassador on Tuesday evening, political pundits are weighing what it all means for Sirleaf’s reconciliation drive. Even the President understands the level of division that exists among the citizens of Liberia, that during her inaugural speech she highlighted the problem.

Especially after sailing through two bitter and contentious elections between the Unity Party from which she comes and the country’s largest opposition the Congress for Democratic Change, (CDC); the President has not had a smooth sail to power.

“The cleavages that led to decades of war still run deep. But so too does the longing for reconciliation – a reconciliation defined not by political bargaining or by an artificial balance of power by tribe, region, religion or ethnicity but by the equality of opportunity and a better future for all Liberians,” said Sirleaf.

For Sirleaf the second election was the true test of the will of Liberians and the institutions they have created and she stressed that if it worked it establishes a pattern, a tradition, a routine of democracy that subsequent elections can follow. Challenges at reconciliation, accusations of bad governance abound

But organizing successful elections alone could not ensure total peace and healing for a country in which division runs so deep as many still feel dissatisfied with the level of corruption and what critics describe as a pattern of nepotism existing in the government as the president continues to keep her sons and close relatives in top government positions.

“The President has fallen short of other important indicators of good governance,” said Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe former Minister of Labor in the Sirleaf administration.

Continued Gongloe:” One of such issues is the appointment of family members in government; this is called nepotism. In a monarchy this is not a problem. Members of the royal family such as princes, princesses, dukes and duchesses, counts, viscounts, marquees and earls, amongst others are privileged citizens and are, therefore, given preferential treatment over the subjects of the thrown.”

The former labor Minister who was a strong supporter of the President Pre 2010 speaking to a group of students at the closing program of the St. Anthony of Padua School, Louisiana, Montserrado County, some months ago said the President’s actions are counterproductive to good governance and total reconciliation and healing.

“The President has not been keen on keeping her promise not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Second, the President, on some fundamental issues, has ignored the Constitution and Statute Laws of Liberia. I have chosen to emphasize these points because the President both in her 1997 and 2005 campaigns made the issues of respect for human rights and the rule of law as well as making a clean break with the past, key components of her platform,” said Gongloe.

“We believed her and campaigned vigorously for her. When she won the election of 2005, she established a transitional committee to help her develop a general framework of governance and the reconstruction of Liberia.”

But the President in her inaugural address reechoed her strides at true reconciliation and healing adding: “True reconciliation means a process of national healing. It means learning the lessons of the past to perfect our democracy.” She said true reconciliation means economic justice for all Liberians and the spread of progress to all.

Efforts at inclusion vs Gbowee’s Resignation

Since President Sirleaf’s election into office for two consecutive terms, her efforts at reconciliation for many have been vague that even her appointment of Co-Nobel laureate Leymah Gbowee could not help her effort at fostering reconciliation.

The Nobel laureate was tasked with the responsibility of helping to take the message of peace and transform a post-war nation striving to find itself. But in October, Gbowee stepped down as head of the body criticizing Sirleaf, for not doing enough to combat government corruption. Gbowee also cited differences in opinion on the pathway for national healing and reconciliation, among the reasons for stepping down from the post.

Since Gbowee’s resignation, the void on the panel has not been filled, leaving a dent in a body many see as critical to healing the wounds of war and addressing unresolved issues from more than a decade of civil war.

Gbowee’s resignation which took the Sirleaf’s administration by surprise was described as an ugly seal on the fate of the government’s efforts at true reconciliation by many. But Weah’s recent appointment has come as a redeeming force.

The government allotted US$5Million toward national reconciliation in the current national budget. But even Gbowee acknowledged in a VOA Daybreak Africa interview earlier this year that she could not initiate a process of reconciliation in Liberia without the participation of everyone. Many now fear that the CDC strongman might face the same problem.

“I want to be very frank with you, Madam Sirleaf is not to be trusted; we still hold our views strong to that. We told people that electing Madam Sirleaf was an error,” said Jefferson Koijee an executive of the CDC after news of Weah’s appointment broke.

Koijee believes that President Sirleaf has now realized that she cannot work in isolation of the wish and aspirations of the Liberian people as Weah and other political actors have a stake in the total wellbeing of the country and its people.

“Now she is calling people all over the place to help her fix her government and she thinks that Ambassador Weah has the ability to help her have a safe landing in terms of leading this country. But this in no way dilutes his quest to become president come 2017 and fighting for the rights of grassroot Liberians,” he said.

Governing Under a Weak Mandate

Weah’s appointment comes at a time when many have been convinced that the Sirleaf administration despite its popularity abroad continues to grow unpopular due to the level of division and hardship that plague the country despite the level of progress the administration boasts of making.

In a policy briefing released in June this year, the International Crisis Group lamented that in the aftermath of a “credible, though contentious elections; President Sirleaf is still governing a divided country under a weak mandate.

The report noted that the country’s post-war peace, yet fragile, remains vulnerable to destabilization by disputes over natural resources, a weak police force and a frustrated younger generation that includes ex-combatants, some of whom are fresh from fighting in Côte d’Ivoire.

The report recommended that a more convincing effort against corruption and better economic opportunities was needed to help appease those likely to challenge state authority, as well as provide a basis for addressing reconciliation and security and electoral reforms. The report also urged the president to act on the commitment to tackle these issues she made in 2006 and reaffirmed in her 2012 inaugural address.

Appointment of Opposition in the Government

Weah’s acceptance of the post of Peace Ambassador is still a bone of contention among his supporters who are still trying to understand why he decided to serve in an administration that seems to be coming under a barrage of criticisms even from within. But many pro-government pundits say the appointment is a seal in the effort by the President to hit the ground running on the issue of true reconciliation.

“This mean we can come together; this is a good step toward reconciliation if this had been any other person he/she might not have accepted it, but George Weah being a good character accepts it,” said Alphonso Sonii an employee at the Ministry of Education.

President Sirleaf has also made efforts at bringing onboard members of the opposition who at some point during or after her bid for the presidency in 2011 supported her.

Lewis Brown the current Minister of Information previous critical stance against Sirleaf’s first term, many believe, did not only bring him onboard but also hand delivered him the post after suddenly somersaulting from being government ‘bad-mouther’ to government’s chief spokesman.

In her January16, 2012 inaugural address, a re-invigorated Sirleaf announced that by balancing power by tribe, region, religion and ethnicity is a way of achieving reconciliation.

The President the President in her first annual address to the 53rd National Legislature renewed the promise by declaring what she described as a true reconciliation that will reduce inequities as her way of reducing the tensions and marginalization of most Liberians.

“My administration will spend the next six years making the government and economy work for our people by reducing inequities, ensuring equal opportunity and providing guarantees of social justice,” she said.

“This is true reconciliation. We will also address more urgent issues that have resulted from tensions, war and marginalization over the years.”

Despite these appointments and many more opposition figures to other junior portfolios in government opposition figures like Cllr Charles Brumskine and Winston A. Tubman former political leaders of the Liberty Party and CDC respectively are still struggling to find a place in the government.

Brumskine was not preferred one for the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) Vice Presidential slot, even though he was nominated for the post along with the now Vice Chair of ECOWAS Dr. Toga McIntosh. Others like Alhaji G. V. Kromah, Dr. Togba Nah Tipoteh, Nathaniel McGill, DCD Secretary General, Mappy Gono-Glay, Alomiza Ennos.

Many are looking to see whether the President is finally set to get the ball rolling on the path to national reconciliation considering her actions in recent weeks to mend fences with the political leader of Liberia’s biggest opposition party.