A senior senator in the National Legislature in Liberia said she is starting an impeachment proceeding against President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for allegedly violating the Liberian constitution, when she recently called on her cabinet ministers to employ two persons each from her ruling Unity Party.

Senator Jewel Howard Taylor, wife of former President Charles Taylor, believes that the President's call which was made at a party convention a week ago, aims to promote segregation in employment, thus contradicting Article 8 of the Liberian Constitution which provides that job opportunities be given all Liberians regardless of creed, religion, political affiliation or social status.
 

The Bong County Senator told a news conference at the weekend in Monrovia that it was a sad day in Liberia's history that a president would seek the welfare of only her associates.
 

The Press Secretary to the President Cyrus Badio in an earlier news conference clarified the President's request, saying it is in no way intended to hinder other Liberians from getting employed.
 

Badio explained that President Sirleaf's administration has tried as much as possible to live above partisan line, evidenced by the number of opposition politicians holding key positions in government.
 

President Sirleaf has been strongly criticised from many quarters since making the request on behalf of her unemployed partisans, something pundits view as a strategy intended to maintain a strong hold over her disciples as the 2011 presidential election draw near.
 

source: AfricaNews