Liberia: Senators Warn Against 'Risky Political Interference' As House Pushes for 16 Additional Electoral Seats

Monrovia — Several members of the Liberian Senate have raised concerns over a controversial resolution passed by the House of Representatives seeking to create 16 additional electoral districts, warning that the move could amount to a constitutional overreach and an encroachment on the authority of the National Elections Commission (NEC).

The House recently approved a resolution proposing an increase in the number of seats in the House of Representatives from the current 73 to 89. Lawmakers backing the measure argue that the proposal is justified by population changes recorded in the 2022 National Population and Housing Census and is consistent with Article 80(d) of the 1986 Constitution.

Article 80(d) provides that each electoral constituency should have an approximately equal population of 20,000 people, or such number as the Legislature may prescribe based on population growth and movements revealed by a national census. The Constitution also stipulates that the total number of constituencies shall not exceed 100.

The resolution is expected to be forwarded to the Senate for concurrence, but several senators have already expressed reservations about both its legality and timing.

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Konneh: House Risks Constitutional Overreach

Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh described the House's action as unconstitutional, arguing that the Legislature's role is limited to establishing a population threshold after a national census, while the actual reapportionment of districts falls exclusively within the mandate of the NEC.

"The Liberian Constitution is clear," Senator Konneh said. "Articles 80(d) and 80(e) explicitly specify the respective roles of the Legislature and the National Elections Commission. After a national census, the Legislature's role is to set the national population threshold for electoral representation. It then becomes the exclusive constitutional duty of the NEC to reapportion districts based on census results."

According to Konneh, the Constitution does not authorize lawmakers to determine which counties receive additional districts or to create and assign those districts through legislation.

"This is solely the NEC's responsibility," he stressed. "Any effort by the House to bypass the NEC and unilaterally create districts is a constitutional overreach, undermining the electoral body's independence and risking political interference in a process meant for an independent institution."

Konneh emphasized that his objection is not to the creation of additional districts where population growth warrants greater representation, but rather to ensuring that any such process follows constitutional procedures.

"Should this resolution reach the Liberian Senate, I will work with my colleagues to ensure that any legislative action fully conforms to the Constitution," he added.

Dillon Questions Authority, Timing

Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon echoed similar concerns, arguing that the Legislature lacks the authority to assign legislative seats to counties.

In a statement posted on social media, Dillon said lawmakers may establish a population threshold based on census findings, but the responsibility for apportioning seats rests with the NEC under Article 80(e).

"The Legislature has no authority to set and assign legislative seats by counties," Dillon said. "It is the authority and function of the National Elections Commission to determine the apportionment of seats in keeping with the threshold set by the Legislature."

Dillon also questioned whether the issue should be considered a national priority given Liberia's current economic challenges.

"And by the way, how is the setting of threshold and/or the apportioning of seats a national priority at this moment?" he asked.

He vowed to lobby fellow senators to reject the proposal when it reaches the Senate.

Nuquay Points to Legislative Neglect

Margibi County Senator James Emmanuel Nuquay offered a different perspective, noting that the Legislature is constitutionally required to establish a threshold for constituency demarcation following a national census.

Nuquay argued that lawmakers failed to fulfill that obligation after the last electoral cycle because the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) had not submitted its final census report.

"We didn't do it before 2023 because LISGIS didn't submit the final report," Nuquay explained. "They did last year, and as such the House is proceeding within the ambit of the Constitution."

River Gee County Senator Francis Dopoh declined to take a firm position, saying he would comment after the Senate formally receives the resolution.

Debate Rekindles Questions Over Representation and Cost

The proposal has reignited debate over electoral representation and government spending.

Liberia's last major reapportionment followed the 2008 National Population and Housing Census, when the number of seats in the House increased from 64 to 73.

Critics argue that expanding the Legislature would increase public expenditure at a time when the country is grappling with significant economic pressures. Elections for a single House seat can cost between US$3 million and US$4 million to administer, according to electoral estimates.

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Political observers and aspiring candidates have also questioned the timing of the proposal, suggesting that the creation of additional districts could favor incumbent lawmakers by reshaping electoral boundaries ahead of future elections.

Supporters, however, maintain that population growth in several counties has created disparities in representation that must be addressed. They argue that additional districts would ensure more equitable representation and improve citizens' access to their elected representatives.

If approved by the Senate, the proposal would increase Montserrado County's representation from 17 to 20 seats and Nimba County's from nine to 11. Bong and Lofa counties would each gain two additional districts, while Grand Bassa, Maryland, Margibi, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh and Sinoe counties would each receive one additional seat.

The debate now shifts to the Senate, where lawmakers will be asked to determine not only whether additional districts are warranted, but whether the House's approach complies with the constitutional framework governing electoral apportionment.