He was elected the Chairman of the Transitional Government of the Republic of Liberia, which was formed in order to end the country’s civil war and to establish peace, on the 14th of October, 2003. He was previously a businessman therefore seen as politically neutral and acceptable to each of the warring factions.
Background
Charles Gyude Bryant was born into a middle-class family on the January 17, 1949 in the capital of Lyberia – Monrovia. Although his parents were the part of the “Grebo” ethnic group, which played unimportant part in the life of the country, he managed to become a certified economist and to build a rather big business.
Career
After graduating from university in 1972, Bryant was offered a job of a manager of one of the small fleets in the country’s leading private holding company (the Mesurado Group of Companies). But in a year he became the head of Department of Planning and Development at the national port’s administration, where the holding was situated.
In 1977 Charles Gyude Bryant started his own machinery supply company (JIMASCO) which gets on well in Liberia up to this day. He had to temporarily withdraw from managing when he filled a high political post.
While doing business Charles Bryant also became actively involved with Episcopal Church of Liberia – one of the country’s largest confessions. Since 1984 he was trusted to manage the affairs connected with donations and charitable contributions, and later he took the post of a chairman on the board of guardians of one of the diocese’s.
Charles Gyude Bryant began his prominent career as a politician in 1992 when he was elected the leader of Liberia Action Party.
Yet in October 2003, when Charles Bryant became the head of the government, he faced a problem as more than a half posts at the government were taken by the representatives of two opposing groups and the allies of the ex-president and the main rival – Charles Taylor. That is why the Chairman of the Transitional Government had to make an effort in order to reconcile the warring parties and to disarm all the insurgent armies before the presidential election, intended to be held in 2005.
Even though minor armed clashes still took place in the remote corners of Liberia and the full disarmament was far from finished Charles Gyude Bryant was able to lay the foundations of further social and economic stabilization. He particularly abolished the monopoly on the importation of rice and oil products into Liberia, held by the companies connected to ex-president Charles Taylor. The requirement for all the Liberians to get the exit visas was also abandoned as it was introduced by Charles Taylor and had political overtones – it was the instrument for persecution of the opposition. It was in time of Bryant’s rule when the primary and secondary education changed drastically. The parents, whose children did not go to school were prosecuted (they could even be deprived of parental rights). The change for the better took place in the higher education as well: the young generation of Liberians had a chance to continue education after graduating from school. Under Charles Gyude Bryant’s direct control a special rehabilitation programme for children who had to fight with the rebells was developed.
Nevertheless the economic circumstances in Liberia, which has the potential to become one of the richest on the continent due to the rich reserves of diamonds and iron ore, are still critical. Charles Bryant considers cooperation with UNO for the purpose of holding presidential elections in the country, disarmament and demobilization of army, estblishment and maintenance of peace, restoration of the social facilities (especially electricity supply) to be the priority directions of his domestic and foreign policy.
Religion
The Chairman of the Transitional Government of Liberia, Charles Gyude Bryant is a commited Christian. According to him, it’s the faith that gives him the hope that Liberia will become a prosperous country.