Liberia: LEMCOL Raises Alarm Ove Female Representation, Transparency in Legislature - FrontPageAfrica

Monrovia — The Legislative Monitoring Coalition of Liberia (LEMCOL) has released its Legislative Monitoring Report Summary for November–December 2025, citing commendable adherence to democratic procedures alongside persistent shortcomings in transparency, inclusion and citizen participation within the Liberian National Legislature.

By Patience M. Jones

LEMCOL unveiled the report on Monday, December 15 during a press conference held at the offices of the Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) on 14th Street, Sinkor, Monrovia. The findings are based on legislative monitoring conducted between November 4 and December 11, 2025, during which the coalition observed nine plenary sessions across both chambers of the National Legislature.

The assessment evaluated legislative performance using structured indicators of Transparency, Inclusion and Participation, aligned with the Legislature’s three core functions—oversight, representation and lawmaking.

The monitoring initiative was co-funded by the European Union, the Irish Embassy, and the Embassy of Sweden under the Liberia Electoral Support Project Plus (LESP+).

The project is managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and jointly implemented by the Netherlands Institute for Multi-party Democracy (NIMD) and UN Women. NIMD provided sub-grants and technical support to LEMCOL to carry out the monitoring exercise.

Key Findings

According to the report, lawmakers largely respected democratic procedures during plenary sessions, including adherence to rules of debate and tolerance of divergent opinions. All sessions observed included the reading of daily journals, and motions were routinely seconded and debated.

Legislative deliberations were heavily focused on national priorities. Finance and public sector governance dominated discussions, accounting for 25 percent of deliberations.

Infrastructure development and local governance each received 21 percent of legislative attention, while education and youth development comprised 12 percent.

Despite these positives, LEMCOL identified systemic challenges. None of the nine observed plenary sessions commenced at the official 10:00 a.m. start time, highlighting chronic time-management issues. Gender disparities were also evident, with women lawmakers contributing to debates in only three of the nine sessions, despite full attendance by female senators.

Transparency Concerns

While all plenary sessions were open to civil society and media observers and were live-streamed on social media platforms, LEMCOL noted significant transparency gaps. Individual voting records were not publicly available, limiting citizens’ ability to hold lawmakers accountable. Although a bill-tracking system exists, it remains inaccessible to the public, and the Senate’s website is currently offline and not regularly updated.

The coalition further cited weak legislative oversight, pointing to limited review of executive actions, the failure of ministries and agencies to submit budget performance reports, and minimal follow-up on audits and previous resolutions. Only three of the nine observed sessions resulted in oversight-related recommendations.

Additional transparency concerns included the frequent use of closed executive sessions, non-public committee meetings, and restricted access to key budget hearings—particularly on revenue matters.

Inclusion and Participation

The report revealed stark gender imbalances in legislative initiative. Of the nine bills introduced during the monitoring period, only two were independently sponsored by female lawmakers, while just one bill resulted from collaboration between male and female legislators. Only one bill addressed issues affecting women and minority groups, and one focused on youth and social protection.

Citizen participation was also limited. Although sessions were open and live-streamed, lawmakers rarely referenced constituency consultations during debates. Only two citizen petitions were presented during the period under review, including a petition from women’s groups led by WONGOSOL calling for the passage of the Women and Girls Protection Act.

Notable Legislative Actions

Among the notable actions during the period, the Legislature passed the FY 2026 National Budget valued at US$1.25 billion, advanced the Women and Girls Protection Act, and approved major petroleum agreements with TotalEnergies and Oranto Petroleum. An education financing agreement totaling US$88.7 million was discussed, while a bill seeking to add 14 seats to the House of Representatives was passed but later subjected to a motion of reconsideration following public concerns.

Recommendations

LEMCOL urged the Legislature to strengthen transparency by commissioning a system audit by the General Auditing Commission, opening committee meetings to civil society and the media, demanding timely submission of budget performance reports from the Executive, and activating a functional legislative website that provides real-time access to proceedings, bills, and voting records.

To enhance inclusion, the coalition recommended mentoring women lawmakers to support their active participation and ensure minority issues are reflected in legislative agendas. On participation, LEMCOL called on lawmakers to engage more consistently with their constituencies and integrate public input into legislative deliberations.

About LEMCOL

The Legislative Monitoring Coalition of Liberia (LEMCOL) is a consortium of 16 civil society organizations and media institutions committed to promoting transparency, participation, and inclusion within the Liberian National Legislature. Its work forms part of broader democratic governance initiatives under the Electoral Support Project Plus (LESP+), implemented in partnership with UNDP, UN Women, and NIMD, with funding from the European Union and the Embassy of Sweden.