Legislature of Liberia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Legislature of Liberia
54th Liberian Legislature
Type
Type	Bicameral
Houses	Senate House of Representatives
Leadership
President of the Senate	Jeremiah Koung Since 22 January 2024
President Pro Tempore	Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence Since 15 January 2024
Speaker of the House	Jonathan F. Koffa Since 15 January 2024
Structure
Seats	103 30 Senators 73 Representatives
House of Representatives political groups	Unity (25)      CDC (10)      Liberty (7)      NUDP (6)      NDC (5)      APD (3)      NPP (3)      MPC (2)      LDP (1)      LTP (1)      NRP (1)      Independents (9)
Senate political groups	Unity (10)      NPP (6)      CDC (3)      NUDP (2)      APD (2)      Liberty (1)      NDC (1)      LDP (1)      NDPL (1)      Independents (3)
Elections
House of Representatives last election	10 October 2017
Senate last election	8 December 2020
House of Representatives next election	2023
Meeting place
Capitol Building, Monrovia
Website
legislature.gov.lr (archived)

The Legislature of Liberia is like the main law-making body for the country of Liberia. It has two parts, which is called bicameral. These parts are the Senate, which is the upper house, and the House of Representatives, which is the lower house. This system is similar to the United States Congress.

Meetings for the Legislature are held at the Capitol Building in Monrovia, the capital city. The Legislature of Liberia is one of the three main parts of the government, along with the President and the courts. They are all supposed to be equal and work together, checking each other's power to make sure no one part becomes too strong. This is known as the Principle of checks and balances.

The House of Representatives has 73 members. Each of Liberia's counties gets a certain number of seats based on how many people live there. The Senate has 30 members, with two senators from each county. These senators are chosen by popular vote, meaning people vote directly for them.

Both House and Senate members are chosen through direct elections. The candidates who get the most votes in their area win their seats. Members of the House serve for six years, and senators serve for nine years. They can run for re-election if they want to.

To vote in Liberia, a person must be a Liberian citizen and at least 18 years old. They also need to be registered to vote and live in the country during the election. To become a Representative, you must be a Liberian citizen by birth and at least 25 years old. For a Senator, you must be a Liberian citizen by birth and at least 30 years old. If a seat in either house becomes empty, a special election is held within 90 days to fill it.

How Liberia's Legislature Works

The way Liberia's law-making body is set up is similar to the United States Congress. It has two main parts: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

There are 15 counties in Liberia. Each county has at least two members in the House of Representatives. The total number of members in the House, including the Speaker of the House, is 73. Each member represents a specific area and is elected for a six-year term by popular vote.

The Senate has 30 senators, with two from each of the 15 counties. Senators serve for a nine-year term. They are also elected by popular vote. The Vice President of Liberia is the leader of the Senate and can act as President if the President is away.

Legislative Powers and Responsibilities

The Constitution of Liberia says that the Legislature is one of the three equal parts of the government. These parts work together using the idea of checks and balances. This means they watch over each other to make sure no single part has too much power.

The Constitution also helps spread power out by creating counties. These counties are meant to help with the country's growth. The laws made by a county apply only to that county. However, national laws are always more important than county laws.

Each county has a County Superintendent and a Vice Superintendent. These leaders are chosen by the people living in the county. The national government also has offices in each county to help people. County governments can collect taxes and manage their own money, but they must follow national rules. They get some money from the national government too. The Legislature is supposed to meet on the first day of December, which is a special day for celebrating African liberty.

The House of Representatives

To vote for members of the House of Representatives, you need to be a Liberian citizen, at least 18 years old, registered to vote, and living in Liberia during the election. People with certain mental health conditions cannot vote.

To become a Representative, you must be a Liberian citizen by birth and at least 25 years old. Political parties that want to have candidates must make sure their candidates are members of the party. Also, a party must have candidates in at least half of all voting areas and at least 30 percent of their candidates must be women. The person who gets the most votes in a voting area becomes the Representative for that area. If a Representative's seat becomes empty, a special election is held within 90 days.

The table below shows how many seats different parties won in past elections for the House of Representatives.

The Senate

The Capitol Building of Liberia, where the Legislature meets.

To vote for members of the Senate, you need to be a Liberian citizen, at least 18 years old, registered to vote, and living in Liberia during the election. People with certain mental health conditions cannot vote.

To become a Senator, you must be a Liberian citizen by birth and at least 30 years old. Political parties that want to have candidates must make sure their candidates are members of the party. A party must also have candidates in at least half of all voting areas and at least 30 percent of their candidates must be women.

The two candidates who get the most votes in a county become the senators for that county. Until 2011, the candidate who came in second served a shorter term. But now, both winners serve a full nine-year term. If a Senator's seat becomes empty, a special election is held within 90 days.

The table below shows how many seats different parties won in past elections for the Senate.

Historical Moments of the Legislature

The Legislature in Liberia has shown its power many times, even in serious situations like removing a President from office. For example, in 1871, after President E.J. Roye was removed, the House of Representatives also removed Vice President James Smith. Later, in 1900, both the House and Senate, along with the President's advisors, disagreed with President Coleman's plans for the country's interior, which led to his resignation.

Experts believe that Liberia's Legislature was truly independent until around 1944, during the time of President William Tubman. During this period, the President gained more influence over the government. Many of the members of the Legislature were local leaders who were not always chosen by popular vote. An change to the constitution in May 1946, which aimed to give more representation to different areas, was also seen as a way to lessen the Legislature's power. There were times when opposing candidates were asked to leave or were removed from the Legislature.

See also

• Politics of Liberia