Vice President of Liberia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vice President of theRepublic of Liberia |
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![]() Coat of arms of Liberia
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Style | Mr. Vice President (Informal) His Excellency (Formal) |
Term length | Six years |
Constituting instrument | Constitution of Liberia (1847) |
Formation | 3 January 1848 |
First holder | Nathaniel Brander |
The vice president of the Republic of Liberia is a very important leader in Liberia. This person is the second-highest official in the country, right after the president. Both the president and vice president are chosen by voters at the same time. They serve for a period of six years.
If something happens to the president, like if they pass away, resign, or are removed from office, the vice president steps in. They become the new president and finish the rest of the original president's term. The vice president also leads the Senate, which is part of the government. If there's a tie vote in the Senate, the vice president can cast the deciding vote. The current vice president is Jeremiah Koung. He works with President Joseph Boakai and started his term on January 22, 2024.
Contents
Who Can Be Vice President?
To become the vice president of Liberia, a person must meet certain requirements. These rules are written in Article 52 of the country's Constitution.
Here are the main things a candidate needs:
- They must be born in Liberia.
- They need to be at least 35 years old.
- They must own land or property worth at least $25,000.
- They must have lived in Liberia for at least ten years.
Also, the vice president and the president cannot live in the same county. This rule helps spread leadership across different areas.
What Happens if the President Leaves Office?
If a president cannot continue their job, the vice president takes over. This can happen if the president passes away, resigns, is removed from office, or is unable to do their duties. This rule is found in Article 63(b) of the Constitution.
When the vice president becomes president, they serve for the rest of the previous president's term. This time does not count as a full term if they decide to run for president later. If a president-elect (someone chosen to be president but not yet in office) cannot take their place, the vice president-elect becomes president instead. This situation does count as a full term for future elections.
So far, five vice presidents have become president. They stepped up because the president either passed away, resigned, or was removed. These leaders include James Skivring Smith, Alfred Francis Russell, William D. Coleman, William Tolbert, and Moses Blah.
The office of vice president has been empty twelve times. The first time was from October 26, 1871, to January 1, 1872, after James Skivring Smith became president. The most recent time was from August 11, 2003, to January 16, 2006. This happened after Moses Blah became president and before Joseph Boakai was elected.
List of Vice Presidents
Here is a list of the people who have served as Vice President of Liberia.
- Political parties
Republican Party True Whig Party National Democratic Party National Patriotic Party Unity Party
- Other affiliations
- Symbols
Died in office
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Political party | Elected | President | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||||
1 | ![]() |
Nathaniel Brander (1796–1870) |
January 3, 1848 | January 7, 1850 | 2 years, 4 days | Independent | 1847 | Roberts | ||
2 | ![]() |
Anthony D. Williams (1799–1860) |
January 7, 1850 | January 2, 1854 | 3 years, 360 days | Independent | 1849 | |||
1851 | ||||||||||
3 | ![]() |
Stephen Allen Benson (1816–1865) |
January 2, 1854 | January 7, 1856 | 2 years, 5 days | Republican Party | 1853 | |||
4 | ![]() |
Beverly Page Yates (1811–1883) |
January 7, 1856 | January 2, 1860 | 3 years, 360 days | Independent | 1855 | Benson | ||
1857 | ||||||||||
5 | ![]() |
Daniel Bashiel Warner (1815–1880) |
January 2, 1860 | January 4, 1864 | 4 years, 2 days | Republican Party | 1859 | |||
1861 | ||||||||||
6 | ![]() |
James M. Priest (1819–1883) |
January 4, 1864 | January 6, 1868 | 4 years, 2 days | Republican Party | 1863 | Warner | ||
1865 | ||||||||||
7 | ![]() |
Joseph Gibson (1823–1886) |
January 6, 1868 | January 3, 1870 | 1 year, 362 days | Republican Party | 1867 | Payne | ||
8 | ![]() |
James Skivring Smith (1825–1884) |
January 3, 1870 | October 26, 1871 (Ascended) |
1 year, 296 days | True Whig Party | 1869 | Roye | ||
Vacancy by ascension | October 26, 1871 | January 1, 1872 | Smith | |||||||
9 | ![]() |
Anthony W. Gardiner (1820–1885) |
January 1, 1872 | January 3, 1876 | 4 years, 2 days | Republican Party | 1871 | Roberts | ||
1873 | ||||||||||
10 | ![]() |
Charles Harmon (1832–1886) |
January 3, 1876 | January 7, 1878 | 2 years, 4 days | Republican Party | 1875 | Payne | ||
11 | ![]() |
Alfred Francis Russell (1817–1884) |
January 7, 1878 | January 20, 1883 (Ascended) |
5 years, 13 days | True Whig Party | 1877 | Gardiner | ||
1879 | ||||||||||
1881 | ||||||||||
Vacancy by ascension | January 20, 1883 | January 7, 1884 | Russell | |||||||
12 | ![]() |
James Thompson (?–?) |
January 7, 1884 | January 4, 1892 | 7 years, 362 days | True Whig Party | 1883 | Johnson | ||
1885 | ||||||||||
1887 | ||||||||||
1889 | ||||||||||
13 | ![]() |
William D. Coleman (1842–1908) |
January 4, 1892 | November 12, 1896 (Ascended) |
4 years, 313 days | True Whig Party | 1891 | Cheeseman | ||
1893 | ||||||||||
1895 | ||||||||||
Vacancy by ascension | November 12, 1896 | January 3, 1898 | Coleman | |||||||
14 | ![]() |
Joseph J. Ross (1842–1899) |
January 3, 1898 | October 24, 1899 | 1 year, 294 days | True Whig Party | 1897 | |||
1899 | ||||||||||
Vacancy by death | October 24, 1899 | January 6, 1902 | ||||||||
Gibson | ||||||||||
15 | ![]() |
Joseph D. Summerville (1860–1905) |
January 6, 1902 | July 27, 1905 | 3 years, 202 days | True Whig Party | 1901 | |||
1903 | A. Barclay | |||||||||
Vacancy by death | July 27, 1905 | January 1, 1906 | ||||||||
16 | ![]() |
James Jenkins Dossen (1866–1924) |
January 1, 1906 | January 1, 1912 | 6 years | True Whig Party | 1905 | |||
1907 | ||||||||||
17 | ![]() |
Samuel George Harmon (1861–1925) |
January 1, 1912 | January 5, 1920 | 8 years, 4 days | True Whig Party | 1911 | Howard | ||
1915 | ||||||||||
18 | ![]() |
Samuel Alfred Ross (1870–1929) |
January 5, 1920 | January 1, 1924 | 3 years, 361 days | True Whig Party | 1919 | King | ||
19 | ![]() |
Henry Too Wesley (1877–1944) |
January 1, 1924 | January 2, 1928 | 4 years, 1 day | True Whig Party | 1923 | |||
20 | ![]() |
Allen Yancy (1881–1941) |
January 2, 1928 | December 3, 1930 (Resigned) |
2 years, 335 days | True Whig Party | 1927 | |||
Vacancy by resignation | December 3, 1930 | 1930 | E. Barclay | |||||||
21 | ![]() |
James Skivring Smith Jr. (1891–1950) |
1930 | January 3, 1944 | 13–14 years | True Whig Party | ||||
1931 | ||||||||||
1939 | ||||||||||
22 | ![]() |
Clarence Lorenzo Simpson (1896–1969) |
January 3, 1944 | January 1, 1952 | 7 years, 363 days | True Whig Party | 1943 | Tubman | ||
23 | William Tolbert (1913–1980) |
January 1, 1952 | July 23, 1971 (Ascended) |
19 years, 203 days | True Whig Party | 1951 | ||||
1955 | ||||||||||
1959 | ||||||||||
1963 | ||||||||||
1967 | ||||||||||
Vacancy by ascension | July 23, 1971 | April 1972 | 1971 | Tolbert | ||||||
24 | ![]() |
James Edward Greene (1914–1977) |
April 1972 | July 22, 1977 | 5 years, 112 days | True Whig Party | ||||
1975 | ||||||||||
Vacancy by death | July 22, 1977 | October 31, 1977 | ||||||||
25 | ![]() |
Bennie Dee Warner (1935–2024) |
October 31, 1977 | April 12, 1980 (Deposed) |
2 years, 164 days | True Whig Party | ||||
Vacancy due to People's Redemption Council | April 12, 1980 | January 6, 1986 | ||||||||
26 | ![]() |
Harry Moniba (1937–2004) |
January 6, 1986 | September 9, 1990 (Deposed) |
4 years, 246 days | National Democratic Party | 1985 | Doe | ||
Vacancy due to First Liberian Civil War | September 9, 1990 | August 2, 1997 | ||||||||
27 | ![]() |
Enoch Dogolea (1951–2000) |
August 2, 1997 | June 24, 2000 | 2 years, 327 days | National Patriotic Party | 1997 | Taylor | ||
Vacancy by death | June 24, 2000 | July 24, 2000 | ||||||||
28 | ![]() |
Moses Blah (1947–2013) |
July 24, 2000 | August 11, 2003 | 3 years, 18 days | National Patriotic Party | ||||
Vacancy by ascension | August 11, 2003 | October 3, 2003 | Blah | |||||||
Vacancy due to Accra Peace Agreement | October 3, 2003 | January 16, 2006 | ||||||||
29 | ![]() |
Joseph Boakai (born 1944) |
January 16, 2006 | January 22, 2018 | 12 years, 6 days | Unity Party | 2005 | Sirleaf | ||
2011 | ||||||||||
30 | ![]() |
Jewel Taylor (born 1963) |
January 22, 2018 | January 22, 2024 | 6 years | National Patriotic Party | 2017 | Weah | ||
31 | ![]() |
Jeremiah Koung (born 1978) |
January 22, 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 192 days | Unity Party | 2023 | Boakai |
See also
In Spanish: Vicepresidente de Liberia para niños
- Lists of office-holders
- List of current vice presidents