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President of the
Republic of Liberia
Flag of the President of Liberia.svg
Presidential standard
Joseph Boakai (cropped).png
Incumbent
Joseph Boakai

since January 22, 2024
Style Mr. President
(Informal)
His Excellency
(Formal)
Residence Executive Mansion
Seat Monrovia
Term length Six years, renewable once
Constituting instrument 1847 Constitution of Liberia
Formation July 26, 1847
First holder Joseph Jenkins Roberts
Deputy Vice President of Liberia
Salary US$90,000 annually


The president of the Republic of Liberia is the top leader of Liberia. This person is both the head of state (the country's main representative) and the head of government (the person in charge of running the country). The president leads the executive branch of government. They are also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia, meaning they are in charge of the military.

Before Liberia became independent in 1847, a governor led the country. This governor was chosen by the American Colonization Society. When Liberia wrote its first Constitution in 1847, the governor's powers were given to the new president. This new role was very similar to the U.S. presidency.

For many years, from 1847 to 1980, only people called Americo-Liberians could be president. These were the original American settlers and their families. At first, there were two main political parties: the Republican Party and the True Whig Party. But in 1878, the True Whig Party took over completely. They ruled Liberia for 102 years.

In 1980, a group of army soldiers led by Samuel Doe took control of the government. This event ended the True Whig Party's long rule. The presidency was empty until Samuel Doe was elected in 1985. After he was overthrown and killed in 1990, the presidency was again empty for seven years during the First Liberian Civil War. It was also empty for two more years after the Second Liberian Civil War ended in 2003.

Today, under the 1986 Constitution, Liberians vote directly for their president. A president serves for six years and can be re-elected once. So far, 25 people have been president of Liberia. One famous president was Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was the first elected female head of state in all of Africa. On January 22, 2024, Joseph Boakai became the twenty-sixth and current president of Liberia.

History of Liberia's Presidents

In 1838, the Commonwealth of Liberia was formed. A governor, chosen by the American Colonization Society, held the main power. The first governor was Thomas Buchanan, who served until 1841. After him came Joseph Jenkins Roberts, the first person of African descent to be governor.

When Liberia became independent in 1847, Roberts was elected as the first president. The 1847 Constitution said that only people who owned land could vote. This meant that only Americo-Liberians could be president until 1980. In 1980, a military takeover led by Samuel Doe changed this. Doe, who was from the Krahn ethnic group, overthrew and killed President William Tolbert.

The presidency was empty from 1980 to 1986. During this time, Samuel Doe led the country as head of the People's Redemption Council. Doe was later elected president in 1985. This made him the first president who was not part of the Americo-Liberian group. In 1990, Doe was overthrown and killed when the First Liberian Civil War began. The presidency remained empty during this war.

After the 1997 election, Charles Taylor became president. He resigned on August 11, 2003, as part of a peace agreement to end the Second Liberian Civil War. His successor, Moses Blah, handed over power to Gyude Bryant in October 2003. The presidency officially returned on January 16, 2006. This was after Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected in 2005. She became the first female president.

In 2017, George Weah was elected as the 25th president. Before he took office, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf created a special team. This team helped make sure the transfer of power from one democratically elected president to another was smooth. This was important because Liberia had not seen such a peaceful transfer in over 70 years.

What the President Does

The Liberian president's job is much like the presidency of the United States.

Leading the Country

The 1986 Constitution gives the president many powers. The president chooses all cabinet ministers, judges, and ambassadors. They also appoint sheriffs, county officials, and military officers. These choices must be approved by the Senate. The president can also remove these officials from their jobs.

The president can also grant pardons, which means forgiving someone for a crime. They can also change or cancel sentences and fines. The president handles all foreign policy matters. However, any treaties or international agreements must be approved by both parts of the Legislature. The president is also the commander-in-chief of Liberia's military.

The Constitution also allows the president to declare a state of emergency. This can happen during a war or civil unrest. During an emergency, the president can temporarily stop some civil liberties. However, the right to habeas corpus (the right to be brought before a judge) cannot be stopped. Within seven days, the president must tell the Legislature why the emergency was declared. Both houses must then approve it with a two-thirds vote. If they don't, the president must end the state of emergency.

Working with Laws

The president must sign all laws passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate. The president can choose to reject a law, which is called a veto. But the Legislature can overrule this veto with a two-thirds vote in both houses. The president can also use a pocket veto. This happens if the president doesn't sign a bill and the Legislature goes on break before the deadline to sign it.

The president can make a legislative session longer if needed. They can also call a special meeting of the Legislature if it's important for the country. Every year, the president must give a report to the Legislature about the state of the country.

Who Can Be President?

To become president of Liberia, a person must meet certain requirements:

  • They must be a natural-born citizen of Liberia. The Constitution says that only people who are "Negroes or of Negro descent" can be citizens.
  • They must be at least 35 years old.
  • They must own land worth at least $25,000.
  • They must have lived in Liberia for at least ten years.

Also, the president and vice president cannot be from the same county.

Term Length and Elections

Under the first 1847 Constitution, the president served for two years. This was changed to four years in 1907. Later, a new president would serve for eight years, and could be re-elected for unlimited four-year terms. During President William Tolbert's time, the Constitution was changed again. It limited the president to just one eight-year term.

Today, the president is elected by popular vote for a six-year term. They can serve a maximum of two terms. The 1986 Constitution uses a two-round system for elections. If no candidate wins more than half the votes in the first round, the top two candidates have a second vote. Each presidential term starts and ends at noon on the third Monday in January after the election. When they begin their term, each president takes an oath. They promise to protect the Constitution and follow the laws. The chief justice of Liberia gives this oath in front of both houses of the Legislature.

President's Home

The Executive Mansion is the official home and office of the president. In 2006, a fire damaged parts of the building. Because of this, the president's office moved to the nearby Foreign Ministry building. The Executive Mansion was reopened on February 14, 2022.

List of Presidents

Political parties

     Republican Party      True Whig Party      National Democratic Party      Liberian People's Party      National Patriotic Party      Liberian Action Party      Unity Party      Congress for Democratic Change

Other affiliations

     Military      Independent

Symbols

Died in office

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Political party Elected Vice President
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Joseph Jenkins Roberts.jpg Joseph Jenkins Roberts
(1809–1876)
January 3, 1848 January 7, 1856 8 years, 4 days Independent 1847 Nathaniel Brander
1849 Anthony D. Williams
1851
1853 Stephen Allen Benson
2 Stephen Allen Benson (cropped).jpg Stephen Allen Benson
(1816–1865)
January 7, 1856 January 4, 1864 7 years, 362 days Independent 1855 Beverly Page Yates
1857
1859 Daniel Bashiel Warner
1861
3 Daniel Warner2.jpg Daniel Bashiel Warner
(1815–1880)
January 4, 1864 January 6, 1868 4 years, 2 days Republican Party 1863 James M. Priest
1865
4 James Payne2.jpg James Spriggs Payne
(1819–1882)
January 6, 1868 January 3, 1870 1 year, 362 days Republican Party 1867 Joseph Gibson
5 Edward James Roye c. 1850 (cropped).jpg Edward James Roye
(1815–1872)
January 3, 1870 October 26, 1871
(Deposed)
1 year, 296 days True Whig Party 1869 James Skivring Smith
No image.png Chief Executive Committee
Members: Reginald A. Sherman, Charles Benedict Dunbar, Amos Herring
October 26, 1871 – November 4, 1871
9 days Vacant
(October 26, 1871 – January 1, 1872)
6 SkivringSmith.jpg James Skivring Smith
(1825–1892)
November 4, 1871 January 1, 1872 58 days True Whig Party
7 Joseph Jenkins Roberts c. 1865 (A) (cropped).tif Joseph Jenkins Roberts
(1809–1876)
January 1, 1872 January 3, 1876 4 years, 2 days Republican Party 1871 Anthony W. Gardiner
1873
8 James Payne2.jpg James Spriggs Payne
(1819–1882)
January 3, 1876 January 7, 1878 2 years, 4 days Republican Party 1875 Charles Harmon
9 Anthony W. Gardiner.jpg Anthony W. Gardiner
(1820–1885)
January 7, 1878 January 20, 1883
(Resigned)
5 years, 13 days True Whig Party 1877 Alfred Francis Russell
1879
1881
10 Alfred Francis Russell (cropped).tif Alfred Francis Russell
(1817–1884)
January 20, 1883 January 7, 1884 352 days True Whig Party Vacant
(January 20, 1883 – January 7, 1884)
11 Hilary R. W. Johnson - Crop.png Hilary R. W. Johnson
(1837–1901)
January 7, 1884 January 4, 1892 7 years, 362 days True Whig Party 1883 James Thompson
1885
1887
1889
12 Joseph Cheeseman2.jpg Joseph James Cheeseman
(1843–1896)
January 4, 1892 November 12, 1896 4 years, 313 days True Whig Party 1891 William D. Coleman
1893
1895
13 William Coleman2.jpg William D. Coleman
(1842–1908)
November 12, 1896 December 11, 1900 4 years, 29 days True Whig Party Vacant
(November 12, 1896 – January 3, 1898)
1897 Joseph J. Ross
1899
Vacant
(October 24, 1899 – January 3, 1902)
14 Garretson Gibson2.jpg Garretson W. Gibson
(1832–1910)
December 11, 1900 January 4, 1904 3 years, 24 days True Whig Party
1901 Joseph D. Summerville
15 Arthur Barclay.jpg Arthur Barclay
(1854–1938)
January 4, 1904 January 1, 1912 7 years, 362 days True Whig Party 1903
Vacant
(July 27, 1905 – January 1, 1906)
1905 J. J. Dossen
1907
16 Daniel Edward Howard.jpg Daniel Edward Howard
(1861–1935)
January 1, 1912 January 5, 1920 8 years, 4 days True Whig Party 1911 Samuel George Harmon
1915
17 1927 Charles Dunbar Burgess King.jpg Charles D. B. King
(1875–1961)
January 5, 1920 December 3, 1930
(Resigned)
10 years, 332 days True Whig Party 1919 Samuel Alfred Ross
1923 Henry Too Wesley
1927 Allen Yancy
18 Edwin Barclay portrait.jpg Edwin Barclay
(1882–1955)
December 3, 1930 January 3, 1944 13 years, 31 days True Whig Party James Skivring Smith Jr.
1931
1939
19 William Tubman 1943.jpg William Tubman
(1895–1971)
January 3, 1944 July 23, 1971 27 years, 201 days True Whig Party 1943 Clarence Lorenzo Simpson
1951 William Tolbert
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
20 William R. Tolbert, Jr..JPG William Tolbert
(1913–1980)
July 23, 1971 April 12, 1980
(Assassinated)
8 years, 264 days True Whig Party Vacant
(July 23, 1971 – April 1972)
James Edward Greene
1975
Vacant
(July 22, 1977 – October 31, 1977)
Bennie Dee Warner
Samuel Kanyon Doe.jpg Samuel Doe
(1951–1990)
Chairman of the People's Redemption Council
April 12, 1980 – January 6, 1986
10 years, 150 days Military /
National Democratic Party
21 January 6, 1986 September 9, 1990
(Assassinated)
1985 Harry Moniba
Amos Sawyer 1978.jpg Amos Sawyer
(1945–2022)
President of the Interim Government of National Unity
September 9, 1990 – March 7, 1994
3 years, 179 days Liberian People's Party
No image.png David D. Kpormakpor
(1935–2010)
Chairman of the Council of State
March 7, 1994 – September 1, 1995
1 year, 178 days Independent
No image.png Wilton G. S. Sankawulo
(1937–2009)
Chairman of the Council of State
September 1, 1995 – September 3, 1996
1 year, 2 days Independent
No image.png Ruth Perry
(1939–2017)
Chairman of the Council of State
September 3, 1996 – August 2, 1997
333 days Independent
22 President Charles Taylor.png Charles Taylor
(born 1948)
August 2, 1997 August 11, 2003
(Resigned)
6 years, 9 days National Patriotic Party 1997 Enoch Dogolea
Vacant
(June 24, 2000 – July 24, 2000)
Moses Blah
23 Moses Blah (cropped).jpeg Moses Blah
(1947–2013)
August 11, 2003 October 14, 2003
(Resigned)
64 days National Patriotic Party Vacant
(August 11, 2003 – October 14, 2003)
Gyude Bryant 2004.jpg Gyude Bryant
(1949–2014)
Chairman of the Transitional Government
October 14, 2003 – January 16, 2006
2 years, 94 days Liberian Action Party
24 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf February 2015.jpg Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
(born 1938)
January 16, 2006 January 22, 2018 12 years, 6 days Unity Party 2005 Joseph Boakai
2011
25 President George Weah in 2019 (cropped).jpg George Weah
(born 1966)
January 22, 2018 January 22, 2024 6 years Congress for Democratic Change 2017 Jewel Taylor
26 Joseph Boakai (cropped).png Joseph Boakai
(born 1944)
January 22, 2024 Incumbent 1 year, 161 days Unity Party 2023 Jeremiah Koung

Timeline of Presidents

Joseph Boakai George Weah Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Gyude Bryant Moses Blah Charles Taylor Ruth Perry Wilton G. S. Sankawulo David D. Kpormakpor Amos Sawyer Samuel Doe William Tolbert William Tubman Edwin Barclay Charles D. B. King Daniel Edward Howard Arthur Barclay Garretson W. Gibson William D. Coleman Joseph James Cheeseman Hilary R. W. Johnson Alfred Francis Russell Anthony W. Gardiner James Skivring Smith Edward James Roye James Spriggs Payne Daniel Bashiel Warner Stephen Allen Benson Joseph Jenkins Roberts

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