Since the return to constitutional democracy in 2005, Liberia has successfully conducted four peaceful multi-party elections. These elections have facilitated seamless transitions and been largely deemed free and credible, despite facing numerous institutional and financial challenges. However, beneath this surface of democratic progress lies a complex reality where political power remains skewed towards the wealthy elite and predominantly male politicians. While Liberia’s constitutional and statutory laws on elections are progressive, in practice, the political landscape favours those with financial resources and political connections. As a result, electoral politics in Liberia often centres more on money and influence rather than on policy ideas and competence. This development is particularly evident in the House of Representatives elections, held concurrently with the presidential vote in 2023, where money and elite connections played a major role.
This Cost of Politics study aims to understand the increasing influence of money in Liberian politics, and how it interacts with other factors such as gender and ethnicity, which ultimately influence electoral outcomes. The study reveals that the participation cost in politics is rather high and unfairly skewed for women and less affluent groups. Dr. Ibrahim Al-bakri Nyei highlights special challenges faced by women in politics “As a woman, you can have all the personal interactions with the voters but if you don’t have enough money to run and sustain your campaign (carry out quick impact projects and do humanitarian services), you’re highly likely not to be voted for”. Furthermore, women are scrutinised by sexism, with voters being interested in the woman’s marital status as opposed to their competencies and policy proposals.
Furthermore, the study addresses the tribal and patriarchal influences on the country’s electoral landscape. According to Matthew Karley, a Research Associate, the tribal and patriarchal mentality is deeply rooted in the voters’ mentality, especially in more rural and traditional communities. He points out that “Though Liberia has had the first female elected President on the continent of Africa, the patriarchal mentality of majority of the voters in rural communities is still entrenched, politics in rural communities is mostly traditional, and the people/voters are also keen on ownership, where does she come from?” He further notes that lineage questions often come up and further undermine women who are often seen as subordinates.
Lastly, the question of growing political parties in Liberia poses its own unique challenges. The number of political parties has increased from 21 in 2005 to 46 in 2023. Zwannah Massallay, Research Associate, notes that many of these political parties are inactive outside of election periods, and their sole purpose is to satisfy the multipartyism criteria. This problem is further exacerbated by the transactional nature of fees to enter political parties. “Most women in election see the establishment of smaller/new political parties as a means of business during the election, they charge extra fees for women nomination and political party are not interested whether or not that aspirant believes in the philosophy of the party all they want is to meet the gender representation requirement set-aside by the National Election Commission.”
The study sheds light on the factors undermining transparent and competitive politics in Liberia and the impact this has on the country’s democratic trajectory. To explore the crucial insights and findings, view the report below:
This study is supported by the WYDE Civic Engagement project, which aims to empower youth in democratic processes. Through this research, the Cost of Politics reports unlock the unique processes of electoral participation and their impact on democracy in different countries.
Led by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in partnership with the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, with support from the European Partnership for Democracy.
