Liberia's Ambiguous Election

Liberia's American-influenced past and its Nigerian-influenced present were both evident in Sunday's presidential elections. The overwhelming winner, Charles Taylor, studied in Massachusetts and was later jailed there for embezzlement at the request of a former Liberian Government. His closest rival, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, graduated from Harvard and later worked as a Citibank executive.

That is the American connection. Real power, however, remains in the hands of Victor Malu, the Nigerian general in charge of the West African force that imposed enough stability on Liberia for these elections to take place. If General Malu means what he says about staying in charge for the foreseeable future, the elections will turn out to be a victory for order, not democracy. An abrupt withdrawal of the West Africans could set off renewed fighting. But preparations for their departure must begin promptly.

Mr. Taylor's landslide victory requires explaining, since tens of thousands of Liberian families lost relatives to his undisciplined rebel troops during an eight-year civil war that took 150,000 lives. Further, despite a professed conversion to peace and democracy, Mr. Taylor has a well-deserved reputation for violence and indifference to human rights. His candidacy benefited from a widespread belief that only a warlord could stop the anarchy. Even some who suffered personally at the hands of his troops voted for him. His campaign war chest was swelled with captured booty, while the underfinanced Johnson-Sirleaf effort was late in starting. Finally, many Liberians felt that Mr. Taylor's rivals represented the discredited old American-Liberian elite that ran the country at the expense of the indigenous majority for more than a century.

Given Mr. Taylor's history, his performance must be carefully monitored by the international community. American assistance, for now, should be limited to privately distributed humanitarian aid and independently run police training programs. For his part, General Malu has earned gratitude from Liberians for finally halting the murderous conflict. But his statements belittling Mr. Taylor's authority suggest that he considers the elections a minor detail and that he is in no hurry to end the Nigerian-led occupation.

That would be a mistake. Liberia's people will not accept prolonged Nigerian tutelage. They have elected Mr. Taylor President in a free and fair election. He should be accountable to them, not a foreign general.

Source: New York Times