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Liberia

https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/

May 2024

President signs executive order to establish war crimes and economic crimes courts

On 2 May, President Joseph Boakai signed an executive order paving the way for the establishment of a Special War Crimes Court for Liberia and an anti-corruption court. The former is to prosecute people and organisations responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Liberian civil war (1979-2003).  This court will be an international tribunal established by the Liberian government in conjunction with international partners but its jurisdiction and location are yet to be determined. The executive order follows a parliamentary resolution in April calling for the establishment of such a court and it represents the first domestic attempt to hold perpetrators legally accountable for the massacres, rape and torture carried out during the conflict. The anti-corruption court will be domestic and have the ‘power to adjudicate matters involving acts of corruption’ committed during the civil war. Legislation will need to be passed by parliament to establish this court.

Sources: The President of the Republic of Liberia, New York Times, The Africa Report, British Broadcasting Corporation       

November 2023

Joseph Boakai wins in second round of the presidential election
Election flag

In the first round of the presidential election in October, leading candidates Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party (UP) and incumbent President George Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) were separated by less than one per cent of the vote. Voters were asked to choose between these top two candidates in a second round on 14 November. The official results from the National Elections Commission gave Boakai 50.6 per cent, while Weah received 49.4 per cent. Turnout was 66.1 per cent of registered voters, down from 78.8 per cent in the general election (including the first round of the presidential election) in October. Weah was quick to concede to Boakai and made a public statement urging his supporters to accept the result of the election. His support for the electoral process was widely celebrated in the region. Observers from the European Union stated that the second round was well conducted, and some of the procedural problems in the first round had been corrected.

Sources: National Elections Commission, Reuters, News24, European Union

October 2023

General election returns victory for incumbent party in House of Representatives – Presidential race goes to second round
Election flag

General elections were held in Liberia on 11 October. Voters chose all the members of the House of Representatives, half the members of the Senate, and also voted in the first round of the presidential election. Turnout was 79 per cent of registered voters, up from 72 per cent in 2017. Incumbent President George Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) was slightly ahead in the first round with 43.8 per cent support, closely followed by Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party (UP) who received 43.4 per cent of the votes. Liberians will choose between these two leading candidates in the second round in November. The CDC increased its seat share in the House of Representatives, gaining four seats for a total of 25 (out of the 73 seats), while the UP lost 10 seats, for a new count of 10. No party has a majority in the House, and 18 independent candidates were elected. While there were 153 female candidates, only 9 were elected (a gain of one). Election observers noted logistical and technical problems in the process preparing for the election, but positively assessed the election day processes in the vast majority of polling places. However, nine temporary staff members of the National Elections Commission were arrested for electoral fraud.

Sources: National Elections Commission, Global News Network Liberia, Africa Report, Reuters, European Union Election Observation Mission, International IDEA, The New Dawn

March 2023

President Weah vetoes portions of act to amend electoral law

As part of the preparations for the October 2023 general elections in Liberia, the legislature passed an act to amend portions of the electoral law in October 2022. On 16 March 2023, President George Weah approved the act, but used his line-item veto power to strike down several sections of the act, citing their non-conformity with other laws or duplication of existing law. The sections vetoed by the President include paragraphs that would have created a new independent body to hear complaints about the conduct of elections. The act had been alternatively criticized and praised for its various provisions. A revision that gives the gender quota (requiring that 30 per cent of the candidates in each party list are women) an enforcement mechanism via delisting parties that do not comply was approved by the President. The amended law will also allow diasporan Liberians to vote if they have valid Liberian identification (including passports). However, opposition parties have noted with concern that the new law significantly raises the filing fees for would-be candidates for office.

Sources: AllAfrica (1), Executive Mansion of Liberia, Front Page Africa, Daily Observer, AllAfrica (2), The New Dawn

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Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2023

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Representation
69/173
Rights
89/173
Rule of Law
106/173
Participation
57/173

Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
5 418 377
System of government
Presidential system
Head of government
President Joseph Boakai (since 2024)
Head of government party
Unity Party
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
First Past the Post
Women in lower or single chamber
11.0%
Women in upper chamber
10.0%
Last legislative election
2023
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
12.65
Head of state
President Joseph Boakai
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (two-round majority)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
02/11/2020
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
76.15%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
Signatory
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
No Action
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
State Party
in
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

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Representation neutral Rule of law
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Representation neutral Participation
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Global State of Democracy Indices

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Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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