Economist Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, one of Liberia's hottest presidential contenders, vows to prioritize security and development if elected president of the war-torn West African country.

Johnson-Sirleaf, 66, nicknamed "Iron Lady" for her tough style in Liberian political circles, would become Africa's first female president if she wins Tuesday's elections. She also talked about her age, her gender and compared herself to a younger generation of politicians in the country.

"It is time for women leadership ... a woman of competence, character and courage to lead," Johnson-Sirleaf told Xinhua in an interview at her beach residence in Monrovia.

She repeated her promises that her key priorities, if elected, would be peace and security and rebuilding Liberia, a country shattered by a bloody 14-year civil war and an 85 percent unemployment rate.

"National leadership is about development and serious work has to be done," she said, adding: "This is not a football match," a remark clearly referring to her main rival in the presidential race, 1995 FIFA footballer of the year, soccer great George Weah.

"Restoring credit worthiness, government's ability to repatriate trained and qualified Liberians from abroad, are some of the many challenges facing us," she said.

Notwithstanding, she admitted the next government may not be in the position to adequately pay well qualified Liberians from abroad in the few years, therefore urged her follow countrymen abroad to make a "certain amount" of sacrifice to come home and rebuild their homeland.

Over the course of her career, the Harvard-trained economist has held such prominent positions as finance minister of Liberia, president of the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment, and senior loan officer of the World Bank.

If elected, Johnson-Sirleaf said she would use her experience in the financial sector to tackle the country's huge debt burden which she put at 3.5 billion US dollars.

"We cannot make improvement without any significant debt relief. .. We would have to put in place an economic policy by the end of 2006 that would address our debt burden," She indicated.

Regarding the low revenue base of the country, Sirleaf said she was doubtful the annual budget on the average since 1997 would be around 80 million dollars, far below that of the 1980s when the budget was around US$500 million.

"Eighty million US dollars does not reflect the true potential revenue of our resources due to leakages in the revenue system and corruption in other areas," she said, promising to fight corruption if elected. "If you are in government and found to be corrupt we will get you out compromise with you."

Johnson-Sirleaf lamented the countries' misfortune of a less educated generation. The 14 years of civil war from 1989 to 2003 has claimed 250,000 lives and turned thousands of young Liberians to drugged-up "child soldiers" high on marijuana and amphetamine, whose only means of survival is fighting.

A member of the country's former regime, Johnson-Sirleaf also responded to the common belief that the older generations of Liberian leaders had failed the country.

"We need to do something about the young people because any young popular leader can attract them, thinking that such young leaders will make their life better, but this is not true."

At 66, Johnson-Sirleaf's main rival in the presidential bid, George Weah, who is 38 years of age, is 28 years younger than the economist.

"People tend to forget that the young have ruled this country in the past 25 years. Samuel Doe came to power when he was 26 years old. (Charles) Taylor came to power relatively young. But all of them failed."

Johnson-Sirleaf, a bespectacled grandmother of six, has often been questioned about her age and whether she would make an energetic president at 66 years.

"I am 66 going to 40," she said amidst laughers. "I may be advanced in age but I am bringing young thoughts and would bring new ideas to the job."

(Xinhua News Agency October 10, 2005)