After nearly eight years of war most Liberians are more interested in stability than in democracy, fully aware that the two are not necessarily synonymous. Neither other former faction leaders nor civilian presidential aspirants were seen to offer any viable alternative to Taylor. His electoral promises of peace and prosperity thinly veiled the wearying combination of greed, opportunism, arrogance and crass hypocrisy that has accelerated Liberia's socio-economic decline over the past two decades. But for many Taylor was a pragmatic choice - not based on the lesser of evils, but on the reasonable assumption that if Taylor lost the elections he would make Liberia ungovernable. Yet now, the prospect of lasting peace in Liberia remains a pipe dream.
Many observers predict that it is only a matter of time before the country slides back to war.
Both Nigeria and the US have vested interests in being seen as the champions of democracy in Liberia. Now it insists its interests are purely humanitarian, based on the altruistic desire to help countries and regions help themselves. US sources have acknowledged that the State Department's role would diminish as other western donors step in to assist Liberia in the massive task of reconstruction and rehabilitation. In Sierra Leone, Liberia's western neighbour, a brief experiment in democracy was brought to a turbulent end in May when the elected government of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was ousted by disgruntled soldiers. While Sierra Leone was lauded as a role model for the transition to democracy, with western donors pledging millions of dollars of aid, malcontents were fermenting the worst violence and anarchy the country has ever seen.