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The level of public outcry and displeasure over the make-up of the transitional team recently appointed by the newly elected president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, is quite understandable because much is expected of Mrs. Sirleaf and the Unity party, after all that happened in the wake of last October's elections and the run-off that followed.

As everyone has been saying, when Mrs. Sirleaf was campaigning for the presidency, she vowed to hire competent individuals, weed corrupt elements out of the system and make sure those with horrible human rights records will be kept far from the new democracy, which is expected to start off with a spirit of reconciliation and reunification. Voters took those promises seriously and saw no reason to believe that Mrs. Sirleaf will turn 360⁰ in this early stage of the process. Even staunch supporters and sympathizers of Madame Sirleaf and the Unity Party believed then and now that the new democracy will succeed and survive.

This 67 year-old, well trained, educated and experienced public servant is no stranger to Liberian politics. She is no doubt, aware of the Liberian people's resolve to turn their nation around from the brink of total destruction and collapse. The president-elect should therefore be in a perfect and firm position to understand or learn that she is about to take over a troubled nation in which many broken things will have to be placed or replaced in varying ways, using all the material and human resources she can lay her hands on. The setting up of the transitional team, we must add, is highly appropriate and timely; Appropriate and timely because it has never been this important to take stock (not an audit) of an outgoing government. With the level of corruption in the government including the transfer of its property in the names of outgoing legislators, such a team couldn't be more needed. While the team is not mandated to audit, it could very well be faced with dozens, if not, hundreds of cover-ups by outgoing officials for fear of future criminal prosecution.

President-elect Johnson-Sirleaf knows for sure, that some of the individuals who were recently included on the transitional team to work with the Gyude Bryant appointed team for the smooth transition of government, were still roaming around the country with lots of questions hanging over their heads about their political, corrupt and inhumane past that could sharply contradict the campaign promises about "competency, corruption and human rights. They are individuals who would have caused the Unity Party to lose significant number of votes in the just ended elections, had the voters known they were associated with the party and its standard bearer. In this write up, we do not intend to single out individuals, at least just yet. But clearly, there are members of the team who have yet to tell the Liberian people their sides of the story about arbitrary arrest and unjustified detention of citizens, selling government property abroad, and denying others the rights to free speech. How can such individuals be the same ones to set policy guidelines for the new government in a young democracy. It is therefore our intention to send home the message that the Liberian people are poised to be fully involved with the way their government is run. They will not sit by and let the same people who afflicted so much wounds on them with impunity, come back and double or triple the same adversities. Some of them belong behind bars as we speak, and that's why the current public outcry is understandable.

There are prominent citizens,  journalists included, who have not only expressed disappointment, but have uncovered some loopholes which if considered, could be adequately addressed to enable a successful transition. (See The Perspective). But not only that, Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her party officials ought to revisit the team's Terms of Reference and make some fast adjustments. It should also serve as a lesson that being it so true the president has the power to hire and fire, she is up against what could be one of the toughest law making body ever in the history of Liberia. The multiplicity of political parties that won seats in both the lower and upper houses will be a force to reckon with. The signal is now out that long before presidential appointees can take their offices, they will encounter some unprecedented uphill battles, not only with the senate, but the public and pressure groups. In the middle of it all, some will even have to decline their nominations. Madame Johnson-Sirleaf should now know that this is not going to be a "piece of cake". It will be a back and forth battle that may sometimes end with the temptation for bitterness.

If Mrs. Sirleaf and party can take any lesson from this, it will be the kind of  "yo-yo" caused by the makeup of the transitional team. It is hoped that the issue will be addressed swiftly and adequately so that ready made detractors of the Unity Party and the new democracy will fall short of success.