For Liberia's 'Iron Lady,' Toughness Part of Territory

Liberian President-elect Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, with one of her campaign posters in the background, wrapped up a nine-day U.S. visit yesterday. (By Lucian Perkins -- The Washington Post)

The "Iron Lady" of Liberian politics has a soft voice. She's taken several calls in this downtown Washington office already, switching from French to several African languages.

The calls come from African officials. She apologizes for having to take them, but she's the president-elect, and people need to talk to her.

She's wearing handmade clothing from Liberia, a simple skirt and blouse, a lovely purple scarf circling her neck. Plain black boots. The slightest bit of makeup. She's from a desperately poor country, and her retinue reflects that: a secretary, a security aide, someone to handle communications. The country has no budget for transition expenses, so she's paying for much of the trip herself.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf surprised the world by winning the Liberian presidential election last month. In a country where everyday reality feels like the plot of a Graham Greene novel, she made history, becoming the first female president in Africa. Her swearing-in is scheduled for Jan. 16.

Some made threats after the election, principally those who backed her opponent, George Weah, a former international soccer star. But there were a great many who smiled, who danced in the roadways, who yelled after her -- "Ellen, Ellen, Ellen."

"I have a mandate from my people to renew our nation and reorder our social systems," Sirleaf is saying.

Sirleaf, 67, has come to America to be seen in the flesh. She wrapped up her nine-day visit Thursday, meeting with administration officials, among them Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

She is not at all giddy about her newfound role. The challenges that lie before her, she knows all too well, are grave.

For about 15 years, Liberia has been beset by wars and corruption, which has left the country's infrastructure in ruins.

"Our peace is very fragile," Sirleaf says, sitting in the office of Steve Cashin, a onetime business partner. "There are arms throughout our country. There are thousands of people -- Weah supporters -- who are prone to violence."

In the past several days Weah has made pronouncements that the elections were unfair, and there have been scattered demonstrations. Sirleaf, who expresses disappointment with the unrest, says she is hopeful that a contingent of 15,000 United Nations peacekeepers will be able to keep the country stable.

She is also trying to reach out to Weah supporters. "Whatever we do has to be buttressed by programs that reach out to them," she says. "There have to be skills and job training programs. They've been exposed to violence and drugs too long. We must contain them -- and reconstruct them."