Liberia’s Weah may struggle to maintain public trust

Subject

President George Weah's challenges.

Significance

President George Weah has undertaken several high-profile initiatives to trim public expenditure and combat public-sector corruption in his first nine months in office. However, a recent controversy involving the Central Bank has raised concerns over his administration’s anti-corruption credentials.

Impacts

• Continuous elite violation of anti-graft laws would weaken the credibility of the state's anti-corruption bodies.
• Civil society pressure could mount for the establishment of a war and economic crimes court.
• Proposed changes to citizenship laws, which would require a referendum, could boost local investment but will prove highly contentious.