2006年VOA标准英语-Liberia's President Fires Finance Ministry

By Nico Colombant
Abidjan
02 February 2006

Liberia's new president has fired the entire staff of the country's finance ministry¹, amid efforts to fight corruption² in her post-war administration. 

 
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
  
In a surprise visit to the finance ministry late Wednesday, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf said she was firing all previously³ appointed staff. She said the ministry had embarrassed Liberia in front of the international community.

She told dismissed employees they would have to reapply if they wanted to work in what she called a sensitive ministry.  She added her government would only hire those who receive basic training in financial management.

A Liberian in the capital Monrovia, Zueben Cooper, says the new president, sworn-in just last month, is moving quickly.

"She's living up to her word to clean house," he said. "The fact that she has done this so soon after taking office and with the fact that she does not have a cabinet yet is telling us that this is no longer to be business as usual."

He says he welcomes the move, but that some Liberians, especially civil servants, are also worried.

"A lot of people in a lot of other ministries⁴ and other areas are a bit apprehensive⁵ because they think that it might happen to them also but I am receiving it with joy," Mr. Cooper said. "I think it's a step in the right direction."

Some workers in the finance ministry said they would legally challenge the move.  They also say they are owed months of back pay.  An estimated 300 are reported to have been fired.

Newspaper editor and political analyst⁶ Philip Wesseh says Mrs. Sirleaf must be careful not to make herself too many enemies too soon, especially right after a tense election season.

"She must be careful how she goes about dealing⁷ with the issue of corruption, so she will not be seen as witch-hunting people or trying to bring about division, so it's a tricky⁸ situation. So she must be careful how she handles the situation," he said.

Earlier this week, she ordered all ministers from the previous transitional government to stay in Liberia pending⁹ a financial audit¹⁰ into their activities.  There have been reports of millions of dollars missing from several ministries, as well as accounts of outgoing officials grabbing office equipment and looting government cars. 

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

5 apprehensive   

adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的

参考例句：

• She was deeply apprehensive about her future.她对未来感到非常担心。
• He was rather apprehensive of failure.他相当害怕失败。

6 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

7 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

8 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

9 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

10 audit   

v.审计；查帐；核对；旁听

参考例句：

• Each year they audit our accounts and certify them as being true and fair.他们每年对我们进行账务审核，以确保其真实无误。
• As usual,the yearly audit will take place in December.跟往常一样，年度审计将在十二月份进行。