Democracy in Liberia

Democracy Ratings

Freedom House 2018

Score:

3 out of 7

(where lower scores are more democratic)

Freedom Status:

Partly Free

EIU Democracy Index 2017

Score:

5.23 out of 10

(where higher scores are more democratic)

World Ranking:

93

Polity IV 2016

Score:

6

(from -10 to 10, where higher scores are more democratic)

Category:

Democracy

Political System

System of Government Presidential
Presidential Electoral System Two-round system
Last Presidential Election 2017
Next Presidential Election 2023
Presidential Term Limits Two, six-year terms.
System of appointment to legislature

Lower Chamber: single-member districts elected through first past the post system.

Upper Chamber:

Last Legislative Election

2017

Next Legislative Election

2023

Number of Seats in Legislature Lower Chamber: 73

Upper Chamber: 30

Female quota, representation in lower house No

Results

Last presidential election (2017)
Candidate (Party) Votes (%)
1st round 2nd round
George Weah 38.40 61.5
Joseph Boakai 28.80 38.5
Charles Brumskine 9.60
Prince Johnson 8.20
Alexander B. Cummings 7.20
Benoni Urey 1.60
Joseph Mills Jones 0.80
MacDella Cooper 0.70
Henry Fahnbulleh 0.70
Oscar Cooper 0.70
MacDonald Wento 0.60
Simeon Freeman 0.40
Isaac Wiles 0.40
Aloysius Kpadeh 0.4
Kennedy Sandy 0.3
George Dweh 0.3
William Tuider 0.3
Jeremiah Whapoe 0.3
Yarkpajuwur Mator 0.1
Wendell McIntosh 0.1

 

Last House of representatives’ election (2017)    
Party Votes (%) Seats
Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC–NPP–LPDP) 15.57 21
Unity Party 14.32 20.0
Liberty Party 8.57 3.0
Alternative National Congress 6.07 0.0
People’s Unification Party 5.87 5.0
All Liberian Party 5 3.0
Movement for Economic Empowerment 3.85 1.0
Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction 3.69 2.0
Coalition for Liberia’s Progress 3.3 0.0
Liberia Transformation Party 3.22 1
United People’s Party 3.08 1
Victory for Change Party 1.84 1
Liberian People’s Party 1.58 1
Vision for Liberia Transformation 1.39 0
Grassroot Democratic Party of Liberia 1.34 0
Liberia National Union 1.31 1
Movement for Progressive Change 1.3 0
True Whig Party 0.96 0
Liberia Restoration Party 0.76 0
Democratic Justice Party 0.48 0
Change Democratic Action 0.47 0
Redemption Democratic Congress 0.37 0
Liberians for Prosperity 0.04 0
New Liberia Party 0.03 0
Independents 15.59 13

Liberia on DiA

Struggles over citizenship in Liberia

11 February 2019

Robtel Neajai Pailey

What Liberian President George Weah must do

22 January 2018

Robtel Neajai Pailey

Is Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf really standing up for women?

20 September 2017

Robtel Neaja Pailey and Korto Reeves Williams

Africa in 2017: The political road ahead

23 January 2017

Nic Cheeseman

Power, peace, and space in Africa

7 July 2015

Franzisca Zanker

Academic questions about the ebola crisis

15 October 2014

Kerrie Thornhill