_WORLD WATCH______________________________
____________________ Liberia ________________

Bishop rips government
Regime dismisses charges
Bishop Michael Francis of Monrovia has issued a harsh criticism of the government of Liberian President Charles Taylor, in a letter circulated among churches.

The bishop listed a range of problems from legal corruption to human-rights abuses to inequitable salaries. He said the average national pay of $20 per month is a virtual invitation to corruption. Bishop Francis then noted that while the masses of people live in abject poverty, government officials and their entourages lives in luxury.

Local media reported that the president was disturbed by the letter. One government official was quoted by the Standard Times, “Bishop Michael Francis is just against this government. His criticisms are unrealistic.”

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