Liberia's first elections after nearly two decades of conflict and civil war were held in October and November 2005, offering Liberians an opportunity to overcome a past of civil conflict and authoritarian rule. Liberians made history by electing Ellen Johnson Sirleaf the first woman president in Africa as well as the most diverse legislature in Liberia's history: 12 percent of the House of Representatives and 17 percent of the Senate are women; and first-time legislators form a significant portion of the legislature.
Four years since this historic election, much of the country's infrastructure has been rehabilitated. However, chronic unemployment, a precarious security situation, and the country's poor road network threaten these encouraging developments.
In recent months, the legislature has taken on a host of important issues, including passage of a bill that creates a transparent regulatory framework for natural resources and another one that strengthens government procurement and budgeting processes. The legislature has also been debating critical electoral reform legislation, particularly a threshold bill that sets the number of constituents per legislative district and a referendum bill that proposes a range of constitutional amendments to strengthen the electoral process in advance of national elections in 2011.
Current Activities
NDI is implementing a 14-month USAID-funded program to support the modernization of the Liberian legislature by: developing sustainable systems and institutional practices that improve the effectiveness of the legislature; improving the ability of legislative staff to respond to current members' requests and manage the day-to-day operations of the legislature; and enhancing the capacity of legislators to fulfill their representative, lawmaking, and oversight roles. The Institute has been working closely with the Joint Legislative Modernization Committee (JLMC), a group of legislators tasked with identifying institutional challenges and recommending viable remedies. Additionally, NDI provides support to the Women's Legislative Caucus of Liberia (WLCL) to strengthen its organizational structure and refine its strategic plan. NDI is also providing technical and financial support to a local radio partner to connect lawmakers with their constituents and disseminate information nation-wide on legislative activities.
Past Programs
NDI worked with Liberian democrats in the lead up to the 1997 elections, but left the country temporarily in 1998 due to security concerns.
- Report: "Supporting Civil Society in Liberia's Electoral Process"»
- Liberia Election Observers Network (LEON) Manual»
- The Electoral Process in Liberia: A Practical Guide for Voters Education Moderators»
NDI returned to Liberia in 2003 to support Liberia’s transition, providing technical support to civic organizations monitoring the transition process and implementing voter education programs.
- Report: "Civil Society's Roll in Political Transition"»
- "War is Behind us Now: A Report on Focus Group Research in Liberia"»
The Institute stepped up electoral assistance in 2005 by supporting the work of a domestic election monitoring coalition that observed and reported on every aspect of the elections.With the International Republican Institute and the Press Union of Liberia, NDI organized candidate forums and debates during the campaign.
In partnership with The Carter Center, NDI conducted pre-election assessment missions and two high-profile international election observation delegations under the leadership of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, former Beninese President Nicephore Soglo and former Nigerian Vice President Alex Ekwueme.
- Arrival statement of the NDI/Carter Center international delegation to Liberia in 2005»
- Monitoring the voter registration process in Liberia»
- Pre-election statement by the NDI/Carter Center delegation to Liberia in 2005»
- NDI/Carter Center interim post-election statement on the 2005 Liberian national elections»
- Observing Presidential and Legislative Elections in Liberia: Final Report on the International Observation Delegations»
- Preliminary statement of the NDI/Carter Center international observer delegation to the Liberian presidential runoff election»
Following the elections, NDI co-organized town hall meetings in which recently elected legislators met with constituents in their districts to foster dialogue between citizens and their elected representatives on issues of national interest.
Beginning in 2006, NDI worked to strengthen the capacity of Liberia’s legislature to respond more effectively to the needs of constituents. The program aimed to strengthen the capacity of legislative committees to perform lawmaking roles and to exercise constructive oversight of the executive branch. NDI also worked to enhance the ability of Liberian legislators to communicate citizen interests and to assist in holding elected and public officials accountable.
To assist Assembly members to respond more effectively to citizens’ needs, NDI facilitated town hall meetings for newly elected representatives and their constituents, and worked with local civic groups to educate citizens on how to hold government officials accountable. NDI also worked with the legislature to organize public hearings on key pieces of legislation. Past hearings have covered the 2008/2009 budget, an act to establish an anti-corruption commission, and media and human rights legislation.
Through grants awarded locally, the Institute offered technical and financial assistance to Liberian civil society organizations to support civic education and advocacy.
In May 2009, NDI concluded a four-month NED-funded program to assist the legislature in analysis of electoral reform legislation that is key for Liberia’s next national elections scheduled in 2011. During the course of the program, NDI worked closely with members of legislative committees responsible for electoral reform, who then analyzed and debated the pending legislation, conducted media outreach on their work, and organized three public hearings to incorporate citizen and expert opinions.
Funding
NDI’s current program in Liberia is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Contact Information
For more information about these programs, use our contact form or contact:
Liberia
Alexander Chavarria, Resident Director
+231.770.26.627
Washington, D.C.
Brittany Danisch, Senior Program Officer
202.728.6316
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