For virtually all of its 167-year history Liberia, the first African republic, has known little or no press freedom or freedom of speech. Many factors account
for this. First, for more than
110 years the country was a virtual one-party state. From
1878 to 1980, the True Whig
Party (TWP) of Liberia, founded by African Americans who established the country, held all elective offices, including the presidency.
This did not augur well for free speech in a country where the government was the single largest employer with the power to even influence hiring decisions in private companies. Critics of the government who were often denied employment in both the public and private sectors cowered in silence.
g By Welma Mashinini Redd
Samuel K. Doe, former Liberian president, was known for abusive practices.
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