Charles Taylor Spends His Last Day as President of Liberia - 2003-08-10

Charles Taylor spends his last day as President of Liberia as he has promised to leave the country under international pressure and to end the civil war. Mr. Taylor has stated that he will hand over power to his deputy, Moses Blah, tomorrow. Nigeria has granted asylum to the Liberian leader, but he has not yet announced when he will leave Liberia. The rebels, who control most of Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, have also not stated when they will withdraw from their positions. The rebel leader has said he does not recognize Mr. Blah because he fought as a guerrilla for Mr. Taylor during the Liberian civil wars. Charles Taylor is preparing to fulfill his promise regarding his resignation, but the consequences following his resignation remain unpredictable. He was supposed to deliver his farewell speech on the radio today. He is also set to hand over power to his deputy, Moses Blah. Nigerian peacekeepers entered Liberia last week to end the civil war. Mr. Taylor's resignation signifies the fulfillment of one of the demands of the rebels and international leaders, including President Bush. Despite having asylum in Nigeria, Mr. Taylor has not said whether he will leave the country or not. The rebels have also not indicated when they will act on their promise and withdraw from their controlled positions.