MONROVIA: In an increasingly polarized Liberia, there is one area of rare consensus: widespread frustration with the Legislature.
Public approval ratings are abysmally low, and citizens feel disconnected and ignored by a democratic process that seems mired in dysfunction.
Public discourse about lawmakers often descends into angry exchanges, reflecting a deeper crisis of confidence in the nation’s political institutions. But, it’s not just ordinary Liberians expressing dissatisfaction. Civil society organizations monitoring the 55th Legislature share similar frustrations. A new report, “2024 Legislative Performance: Monitoring Midterm Scorecard”, by the Institute of Research and Democratic Development (IREDD), offers a sobering analysis of lawmakers’ performance.
The findings highlight challenges plaguing the Liberian Legislature and underline the urgent need to improve its capacity to represent constituents, uphold good governance, and drive national development. “This report serves as both a reflection and a tool,” said IREDD’s Executive Director, Dan Sayeh.
“It evaluates the efficacy and responsiveness of our lawmakers, gauging how well they uphold their mandate to serve the Liberian people,” Sayeh added. The report underscores the importance of attendance in the Legislature, framing it as a cornerstone for informed policymaking. However, it paints a mixed picture: In the Senate, 10 members, including Senate Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, earned the highest attendance scores, while nine senators received a B grade. Conversely, several senators, including Crayton Duncan, James P. Biney, Zoe Emmanuel Pennue, Prince Johnson, Gbehzohngar M. Findley, and Amara Konneh, were given a C for inconsistent attendance. In the House of Representatives, the situation is bleaker.
Eighteen lawmakers achieved an ‘A’ for higher attendance, but a staggering 20 received an F for persistent absences during the first two-quarters of the legislative session.“In a knowledge-based workplace like the Legislature, attendance is critical for understanding and shaping public policy,” said a senior Capitol Hill staffer, speaking anonymously. “If lawmakers’ skills and engagement are lacking, our democracy cannot function at its highest level,” Sayeh stressed. Another contentious issue raised in the report is the inequity in funding for constituency visits. IREDD criticized the “one-size-fits-all” approach, which allocates US$10,000 per lawmaker regardless of the logistical challenges unique to their districts. “For example, it is unrealistic for a District Representative with constituents in Monrovia to receive the same US$10,000 as a lawmaker who must travel to remote areas like Grand Kru, Lofa, or Maryland,” the report stated. This disparity, it argues, undermines the ability of lawmakers from rural constituencies to effectively serve their voters.
The report also highlights deeper structural and operational issues within the Legislature: Lawmakers have largely abandoned their oversight responsibilities, showing little interest in quarterly performance reports or audits. Limited expertise and a lack of technological resources hinder effective lawmaking.
These deficiencies, according to IREDD, weaken the Legislature’s ability to perform its constitutional duties and erode public trust in its capacity to lead.The Monitoring Midterm Scorecard paints a damning picture of the 55th Legislature, but it also serves as a wake-up call.As Liberia grapples with governance challenges, one analyst asserts, the onus is on lawmakers to restore faith in the democratic process by addressing the systemic issues identified in the report.“For many Liberians, however, patience is running thin. Without meaningful reform, the growing disillusionment with the Legislature threatens to deepen the country’s already fragile democratic fabric.”
