Suspending these a services in turkey and one of the worlds biggest color immunization campaigns is underway in bangladesh to prevent a major outbreak nine hundred thousand those dozes of the vaccine have been prepared to protect local communities and ranger muslims fleeing myanmar inside story is next on aljazeera famous. Zero. And for us. The people of liberia have voted to elect a new president in the countrys first democratically transfer of power in seven decades twenty candidates are competing to replace Nobel LaureateEllen Johnson sirleaf but the road ahead is fraught with uncertainties in a country that suffered years of civil war and the deadly Ebola Outbreak this is inside story. Hello again and welcome to the program im james bays what do liberias current Vice President of former footballer and a model have in common theyre all running to be the next president of the country replacing the woman whos led liberia for the past twelve years Nobel Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson sirleaf is stepping down after two terms in office liberians headed to the polls on choose day to vote for her successor theyre choosing from a crowded field of twenty candidates a number of them are expected to win the required majority of votes so were likely to see a runoff later this year but its a momentous election marking the west african countries first democratic transfer of power since one thousand nine hundred four lets bring in our panel to discuss the issues from monrovia we have miata fun bullen a social activist and goodwill ambassador with liberias ministry of health from oxford Jason Robinson an africa analyst with oxford and a little and from london jonathan office and saw the publisher of africa briefing welcome to you all i think well start in monrovia with you you are there at a polling station tell us what the atmosphere there is like. Oh it its a very very very. Excited atmosphere i think be anything you have shocked themselves today because everything go polling precinct. Has all the numbers people have been out for them this morning to cast their vote so its a very festive kind of feeling they have been some laps and we hope they any she can take care of them by this afternoon. Like names not on Voters Register and people not being allowed to vote except for a vote you describe would you describe. Would you describe those as minor lapses or are they serious. You know i wouldnt want to call it minor because any time one human being is denied their right to vote its a very serious thing so the numbers we are hearing are not really mine and this is just mussarat of county monrovia where i am were also getting reports from hong kong see that people havent found their names on the register and neck officials are telling them to go home and theyre not prepared to go home and surrender their rights to vote so tempers are rising and we hope like i say nec will look into it and make sure that those problems are solved. Jason and jonathan id like to ask you both about the import of this moment for liberia jason first. I think the Regional Community and International Community they have a lot riding on this election going well particularly the second round runoff which is quite possible quite probable weve weve heard mention of some of the irregularities or some of the problems today and just a question of whether the the opposition and the loser in a potential runoff accepts that and whether this kind of fragile post a bowler recovery whoever wins whoever triumphs that they can actually consolidate some gains and i think that in the region there is an emerging consensus on two terms on their democratic turnover and a lot of neighboring countries want to see how the liberian experiment will work out jonathan i know its early days and weve heard how the process will go on from here but this could be the first peaceful transition of power one living president to another in some i think seventy three years. Yes it is yes it is and i believe thats what gov used most like there are protests to go to the polls to close your vote because deciders tariq moments going on in the political history. Are off like area so our people its a kind of so for reports i gather from. A kind of very celebration and all of the peaceful transition from one part of one elected president to the other well well discuss whether its time to celebrate in a moment there are twenty candidates lets take a look at some of those who are running for liberias top seat is the current Vice President joseph new armor bouquet hes one of the front runners whos reps representing the Ruling Unity Party another favorite is the former football star george where he served in the senate for three years as part of the Opposition Party congress for Democratic Change where is running mate is senator jewel taylor shes the exwife of the former warlord and president Charles Taylor whos serving a life sentence in a british prison for war crimes also in the running is a man called prince johnston the senator was a rebel leader who became infamous for ordering the torture and murder of a sitting president samuel doe in one thousand nine hundred ninety and jason some of those people who were involved in this election are from the countrys dark past. Yeah that its definitely a worry its perhaps unavoidable in the situation that is and some of the elements of the reconsideration process that occurred and even the current president had to make some kind of informal and formal alliances with with some of those including prince johnson. Its not ideal but unfortunately in some of these post conflict situations you have to incorporate rather than exclude the only worry is george weyers running mate youre hired taylor. Has hinted at a kind of re pursuing of of her ex husbands agenda which which would be a concern if georgia where on her were to triumph in the poll and more in the Runoff Election jonathan her husband exhusband is now serving time in a prison in the u. K. As part of an International Deal there have been suggestions that hes been trying to influence this election. Well he could only i dont suit restitute the security but if there is it or not was there not a telephone call he made from that prison in County Durham that was recorded and then broadcast to people in liberia. Yeah but im not sure. It will go far you know considering you know the. Events or the very recent past history of nigeria im not even im actually kind of its much much you feel i said the way you know if you can it could be three and it could be influenced could be effective you know so long if only he becomes in on the Vice President and again and oh its an issue because the Vice President it should be up to george we are going on. His running mate if i have running mate with are we to you know given to those influences so its all moved in on. Your moment. Ground can i ask you what your feeling is clearly we have to wait for the votes to be counted and this will be a long process probably with a second stage but which candidates do you think have momentum where you know there are so many candidates. Every day when they do come out for their rallies. Their numbers basically the same a lot of people come out. But you have a lot of young people who really are not committed to any particular party and yet the show up at all of the different rallies and so forth so theres a tendency to get carried away with numbers. Obviously theres a perception that. Football. And the wife of child taylor. Have probably a lot of into the air. By sheer volume will end the show up then. The popularity aspect of a world best football player. That is how is saying. Ok well there are several key issues influencing the voters this year including corruption sirleaf herself has admitted her government could have done more to eradicate the problem and her successor will be expected to do so infrastructure is also a big issue the opposition candidate george wears criticize the government for its failure to build enough roads hes promised to do better most liberians have no access to electricity and power cuts are common in major cities and the u. N. Says eighty five percent of liberias young people are unemployed all the leading candidates have pledged to create jobs jonathan lets look at the state of the economy how bad is the state of the economy right now. Well the economy compared to when. Justice said theyve came to power twelve years ago theres been some improvement that pleased when she came to power twelve years ago the total unlike u. T. P. Was about five friend half a billion dollars its now more than two billion dollars ok but theres still more to be done in all of that increase in g. D. P. Its not reflected in on the lives of the ordinary liberian like you said you thought employment is quite high its about eighty five ninety percent and the Youth Culture to top by sixty percent of the population because on power cuts you know on their corruption so they say long way to go alone which is go for know for all of the new incoming government has its wake order you can be president how to keep its work cut out to improve the economy and its in on that this time that sort of people and of course jason the other thing that hit the country was the tragedy of abode the human cost of almost five thousand lives but an Economic Cost as well i guess that set the country back. Yeah it was already in a fragile state of any post civil war country and particularly given the devastation that came before hand there was a nascent recovery there were certain Development Gains there are still those problems that weve heard mention in terms of unemployment in terms of the opportunities in the jobs just not being there for liberias youth thats really could back majorly we saw negative g. D. P. Growth were were seeing now tentative recovery post people recovery well we might see growth of three percent or more this year but the key issue is whether the growth gains can actually transfer to the broader population who are still the vast majority in poverty and not seen the kind of opportunities theyd like and thats why in some ways for all the gains or or the positive elements of the current presidency and the the outgoing president why the Vice President still has a challenge on his hands to win this election because a lot of people even though perhaps george way and some of the other candidates are vague they want change of some sort and hes tapped into that among among others jonathan what are so theres a little bit more about the fundamentals of the economy of being what are its Natural Resources what can it make money doing well is go to. Rubber is god. Is good. Us let me tell you know. Martin i are all over this so i decided to go. Natural resources of the country. Like i said because of the laxity of proper infrastructure like roads electricity and so forth. And all of the economy is in there hasnt been able to perform and then again like jason said and on the impact of the. Epidemic three years ago or so all these other impacted you know obviously and on the economy so this leaves a very good joint tax for the incoming government to have becomes you know president s you know by the end of this month. President Johnson Sirleaf as we know won the Nobel Peace Prize for brit bringing stability to your country but how is she viewed particularly with regard to the economy by ordinary liberians. Well i dont think theyll give her a very good record on that to tell you the truth. To get a dui and. That is because of. Yes we heard in an internal liberia sign. So many wonderful confessions to the tune of sixteen billion United States dollars and up until now the people have not felt the effect of all of those confessions and. It has not made a difference in their lives so. No i would say that would be the major complaint that nothing has changed in the life of those people who are under the poverty level. Jason the outgoing president could perhaps be described as the darling of the International Donor community do you think itll be much harder for a new figure coming in to try and get the money because it seems that liberia is relying on these funds that are being donated by international governments. Yeah i think that could be an issue and i think several of the candidates are aware that clearly the Vice President and theres also the issue that for all of the gains and the Nobel Peace Prize that the incumbent the outgoing president sirleaf has actually had or her stars diminish to everest ever so slightly i think and terms of what weve been talking about a lot of the corruption perhaps some of the reconciliation gains not being quite as quite as good as before and theres also just donor fatigue internationally were seeing more skeptical governments in the west in the u. S. And the u. K. And posted bola whether liberia will be topped the list anymore is a big question so that will be a big challenge for whoever the next next president is jonathan historic links of course between liberia and the u. S. You have a new administration now in office for almost nine months and President Trump the u. S. Has been kind to liberia in recent years can you see that continuing where the. Obvious you know where president charmed you know how. Can i see it work looking what it says and so far i dont i may be wrong but i dont recall him i dont know myself with Office Making any Major Political experience on africa so any assistance or deadlock theyre all from the trump ivory tradition or not is sure to be seen. In terms of the economy and jobs youth unemployment is incredibly high in your country and president Johnson Sirleaf herself said in twenty thirteen youth unemployment was a threat to peace and risk returning the country to conflict how worried are you about that that section of the population the young who are out of work. We are worried we should be worried theres a large percentage of the forty to fifty percent of our young people. Even those who have gone to college and come out to college because there is no work for them and. Going to get restless i can tell you because the youth are so concern and disappointed with in the system and with. Mainstream politicians. I think is why there has been this kind of turnout today. They want to make a statement whether their statement is right or wrong. That is you know for us to think about the war but definitely we all should be worried no manufacturing plant for the young people there not you know scholarships available. Everything everything is under budgeted so it is a worrying thing for any concerned like who lives in a society i think we are so i stay with you for a moment and raise another key issue which is the issue of corruption when president Johnson Sirleaf came to power twelve years ago she said corruption was a major public enemy how well is she done tackling that corruption. I dont think. I dont think she has done it as she could have and before i just leave that out. To the liberian factor. A population of four point five Million People weve all intermarried to be here directly in directly related and so what you find happening in our society is. It q corruption. Brothers and so when it comes to prosecution you will hear a lot of voices in defense of those relatives and so forth and unfortunately this has been like the. Around madam said the. Fight against corruption. A lot of accused of corruption in direct or direct relatives. Those. In government. Who have also been a. Q. Lieutenants and so forth and so we have not had a very good fight. Because we are one one unit and everybody jumps up to protect. Which is unfortunate for the country jonathan there is of course a link maybe several links between corruption and peace and security of the country one i suppose is that when youre in a conflict society you want to spread the spoils around to keep everyone happy. Yes i think that i think it could be said about liberia because the peace initially was fragile does a truth and a truth and Reconciliation Commission set up thats not kept things go in so i believe johnson said johnson said theyve probably in their wisdom you know thought it better to tread softly you know not to you know not to. Rekindle old sentiments of animosity so in order couldnt do real on the front got peace in preventing in the country but then that still shouldnt be you know an excuse to. Lets people. Corrupt activities go on punish like lycia about twelve i offer here was included in the speaker of parliament where charged for various crimes including and corruption that was an example and i hope and i. Go to said if i could have begun you know tighten up the anticorruption drive much so not done and on last year jason one thing that looks like its going to happen soon is the un are going to pull out theres only a small number of un peacekeepers there now is that a little bit of a worry though that safety blanket will be going soon. Definitely and i think the u. N. Theres been statements a little bit earlier this year about the fragility i think on the whole or the spinning of the story has been that there might be minor skirmishes we have seen opposing sides in the months previously in scuffles or various rallies and things like this but that it wont be serious i think unless were hearing anything different today i think today would probably of that of the two days if theres a runoff be seen as the less the less dangerous there that the big issue is in a months time if you have a runoff and you have some of these irregularities where there magnified and theres a lot more pressure and theres two candidates where there are the domestic security situation where theyre able to handle this i think in terms of some of the post conflict cases its not as. Theres not as much concern at least being publicly stated internationally but given the opportunity given the Economic Situation given the corruption weve talked about and given the you know the zero sum game for some of the candidates you know also for georgia where this is really his third chance potentially in his eyes his final chance of getting getting to the top table so i think that is a worry i think a months time well have to see. The final set of play with a runoff most likely and then and then well get a better sense of how theyre managing themselves ok jason we are so id like to end with you quickly though your final word this. Historic day are you feeling optimistic about liberia. I have to do you think if they wear this life. We can give up. Its going to be a hard road whoever becomes the president is going to be a very because the challenges that. After twelve years i still phenomena so. I must remain optimistic at least for the children. For my grandchildren. Thank you very much. Also to Jason Robinson and. You can see the program again if you wish on the web out. And if you go to our Facebook Facebook dot com forward slash a. J. Inside story you can add your views and opinions on events in libya you can also comment on twitter handle is at a. J. Inside story ill be back in just under twenty four hours time but for now. The rain forest of the sea we continue on our current way we want have within twenty thirty forty years from. Trying to recreate the ecosystem under controlled conditions the money to go. To. The Great Barrier is still sizeable but weve got to start now and we need to get everyone behind the solution. At this time on hold as iraq. History is so often told through the eyes of leaders but in amritsar india just thirty kilometers from the border with pakistan this old building is being transformed into a new museum Mallika Ahluwalia is the driving force behind armored sars partition museo its really shocking because if you think about the fact that within a few years of nine eleven happening and nine eleven museum was there and there are now numerous holocaust museums is not beautiful Apartheid Museum so countries around the world have walked to memorialize these events that have shaped that partition is not about the political events that led up to partition its about the impact on each person who went through it its really important that we highlight the stories of humanity hopefully one outcome on this would be that we remember our shared like humanity and the shared history. In recent years the sawhill of north africa as witness the socalled war on terror. But is this official narrative. Masking a larger battle. A battle for the earths Natural Resources. Shadow war in the sahara at this time. How much is iraq. Sprains government holds an emergency cabinet meeting