Monrovia, Liberia: Naymote Partners for Democratic Development has urged President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., to promptly initiate a comprehensive review of Liberia’s 1986 Constitution.
The organization asserts that such a reform is essential to enhance governance, uphold democratic principles, and ensure the consistent application of the rule of law.
In a statement read by the group’s Executive Director of Naymote Eddie Jarwolo, Naymote emphasized that the current Constitution, enacted nearly four decades ago under military rule, no longer adequately addresses Liberia’s evolving political, social, and legal landscape.
The organization contends that the Constitution requires modernization to reflect contemporary democratic standards and to provide a robust legal foundation for justice, accountability, and inclusive governance.
The 1986 Constitution, enacted nearly four decades ago under military rule, no longer adequately addresses Liberia’s evolving political, social, and legal realities. Although it replaced the 1847 Independence-era Constitution, it has not undergone the necessary reforms to clarify and strengthen legal provisions that safeguard civil liberties, promote judicial independence, and prevent political manipulation of governance structures.
Notably, the 1986 Constitution retained provisions that centralized power within the executive branch, leading to an “imperial presidency” and limiting participatory governance. Furthermore, it granted amnesty to the military junta for actions taken between 1980 and 1986, highlighting the need for comprehensive constitutional reform to establish a more democratic and accountable governance framework.
Mr. Jarwolo highlighted several critical areas for urgent constitutional reform.
He name , Rule of Law and Judicial Reforms stressing the need for the establishment of a specialized courts, such as electoral and anti-corruption courts, to ensure justice, fair adjudication, and accountability.
Other areas of review include, electoral reforms aimed at enhancing the electoral system to improve transparency, credibility, and public confidence in elections, women’s political participation to ensure implementation legal measures to promote gender equity in leadership and governance, local governance to facilitate the election of local government officials to promote decentralization and grassroots participation, addressing underlying governance issues, and revision of citizenship laws to assess policies on nationality, civic identity, and dual citizenship to reflect contemporary realities.
He also indicated a clarifying government roles and responsibilities to certify a clear separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches to prevent overreach and maintain balanced governance.
Naymote urged President Boakai to lead a transparent, citizen-driven reform process that strengthens Liberia’s democratic foundations and restores public trust in government. Naymote recommends initiating a broad-based national dialogue, establishing a Constitutional Review Commission, and engaging civil society, legal experts, and grassroots communities to ensure an inclusive and transparent reform process.
Liberia stands at a critical juncture, and Naymote believes that President Boakai’s leadership presents a pivotal opportunity to champion a modernized, citizen-centered constitution. A deliberate and well-structured review process will not only align Liberia’s governance structures with international best practices but also restore public trust in democratic institutions.
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