President Boakai Reinstates Liberia’s Electoral Chief

PRESIDENT JOSEPH BOAKAI has reinstated Madam Davidetta Browne-Lansanah as Chairperson of Liberia’s National Elections Commission (NEC) one month after her “indefinite” suspension from the post.

According to an Executive Mansion statement on 15 January 2025, her suspension had followed an investigation into recent protests by aggrieved NEC workers regarding “administrative decisions taken by the NEC Chairperson without proper consultation.”

Madam Browne-Lansanah was accused of “unilaterally announcing the closure of the NEC office for one month and dismissing 25 employees without the knowledge or approval of the NEC Board of Commissioners, as required by law.”

However, in a vindication of Madam Browne-Lansanah, a new government statement on 20^th February said the lifting of the suspension was “with immediate effect,” following a high-level meeting on 18^th February “attended by the NEC Board of Commissioners, the ECOWAS Ambassador to Liberia, and senior officials of the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs.”

In administrative language, an indefinite suspension of a public servant is usually followed by dismissal, but informed sources said, “nothing untoward or unprofessional” was found against Madam Madam Browne-Lansanah.

According to the sources, “some politicians within the corridors of power might have tried to use NEC insiders to undermine the authority of a woman described as “rugged, strong-willed and independent-minded.” Madam Browne-Lansanah received local and international praise for delivering a successful and one of Liberia’s most credible and transparent presidential and legislative elections in October 2023.

She was reported to have clashed with some commissioners last year over administrative matters resulting in the dismissal of some employees for “gross insubordination.” This led to protests by some employees at the NEC headquarters in Monrovia.

Under the Liberian constitution, the NEC chairperson’s role is tenured, and Madam Browne-Lansanah’s term runs out in two years.

Liberia’s Rule of Law Legislative Caucus had described her suspension as “unconstitutional,” affirming that “NEC’s independence, protected under the Constitution, is vital to safeguarding democracy” in the country.

“The Supreme Court of Liberia has ruled unequivocally that the suspension of tenured officers is tantamount to their removal. Such removals are constitutionally permissible only through the impeachment process, which involves, the National Legislature,” the Caucus added.

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It urged the “President to rescind (his) decision and allow constitutional processes to prevail,” adding: “The erosion of institutional independence risks plunging the country into uncharted territory and threatens the very essence of our democracy.”

To his credit, President Boakai has allowed the rule of law to prevail, with Madam Browne-Lansanah’s reputation intact.

In lifting the suspension, the president expressed the hope that the “uncertainty surrounding the NEC has been addressed, clearing the way for the smooth conduct of the upcoming Nimba County by-election to fill the vacancy left as a result of the passing of Senator Prince Yormie Johnson.”

The NEC was part of the 2003 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended Liberia’s14-year civil war. It replaced the 1986 Elections Commission as “an autonomous government institution, independent of any branch of government with powers to run elections in Liberia.”

According to Chapter 2, Section 2.1 of the New Elections Law of 2014, the NEC “shall be under the direction and management of seven (7) Commissioners appointed by the President of Liberia, who shall appoint one of them as Chairman and another as Co-Chairman. All of the appointments shall be subject to the consent of the Senate.”

Madam Browne-Lansanah is the fifth NEC Chairperson.  In 2011, one of her predecessors, James Fromayan was forced to step down after being accused of bias by then-opposition leader George Weah.

The same George Weah, as President, appointed Madam Browne-Lansanah as NEC Chair in April 2020 and lost his re-election bid in the 2023 elections conducted by her.

A veteran broadcast journalist with a master’s degree in public administration and bachelor’s degrees in political science and public administration, Madam Browne-Lansanah also boasts some career experience working in the UN system before joining NEC 10 years ago as a commissioner.

She served as Co-Chair and Acting Chairperson before assuming the substantive position of Chairperson in 2020, pledging to “strengthen NEC’s core values of independence, integrity, professionalism and consistency.”

At a time when the ECOWAS region is grappling with the resurgence of military incursions in politics, badly run elections and three member States on the verge of quitting the 15-nation organisation, Liberia, Senegal and lately Ghana, hold up hope for the survival of electoral democracy