Integrity Watch Liberia (IWL) is urging the Liberian Senate to reject the House of Representatives' proposal to create 14 new legislative seats, warning that the move lacks clear census justification and would burden taxpayers with more than US$27 million in new costs during the first six years alone.
The civil society organization said the House's decision--passed recently to expand the lower chamber from 73 to 87 members ahead of the 2029 elections--has raised serious constitutional, fiscal, and governance questions. The measure has also faced mounting backlash from citizens who say lawmakers are prioritizing political self-interest over the country's worsening economic conditions.
IWL Flags Legal and Fiscal Red Flag
At a press conference Thursday, December 11, IWL Executive Director Harold Aidoo said that while reapportionment after a national census is required under Article 80(d) and (e) of the 1986 Constitution, the House's proposal "raises significant legal, fiscal, and governance concerns that warrant immediate reconsideration." "IWL strongly supports representative democracy," Aidoo said. "However, democracy must deliver public good, not place additional and avoidable burdens on a country already facing acute fiscal constraints." Aidoo questioned the credibility of the House's claim that the new seats are based on the 2022 National Census.
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He noted that "the distribution of the seats does not transparently correspond to a clearly defined population threshold or statutory formula," adding that no public methodology has been released showing how the House arrived at the number 14 or how the additional districts should be allocated. "The configuration appears shaped less by demographic equality and more by political considerations, raising concerns about constitutional fidelity," he added.
IWL Says Costs Are Excessive and Poorly Justified
Aidoo stressed that Liberia's fiscal position--characterized by a national budget slightly above US$1.2 billion, high poverty rates, and competing human development needs--makes the proposal unsustainable. He said the projected US$23 million cost for salaries, benefits, staff, and operations for the new lawmakers is "conservative," noting that it excludes pensions, medical benefits, and possible future adjustments. "Given the demands for increased healthcare spending, education financing, local development, and debt servicing, allocating over US$23 million to expand the Legislature is economically imprudent and contrary to principles of responsible public finance," Aidoo said.
He estimated that an additional US$3-4 million will be needed to support the National Elections Commission's expanded administrative and electoral responsibilities. "This places the combined burden associated with 14 new seats at well over US$27 million within the first term alone," he said. "For a country struggling to provide essential medicines in hospitals or textbooks in schools, this level of additional spending raises profound questions of public interest and prioritization."
Concerns Over Representation, Governance, and Public Trust
IWL warned that expanding the Legislature during a period of limited fiscal space could undermine critical social spending, increase debt dependence, and deepen public distrust in the country's political institutions. "A democracy that becomes exorbitantly expensive erodes its own legitimacy," Aidoo said, adding that representation must follow population but must also remain fiscally responsible and constitutionally sound. He argued that implementing such an expansion without transparent census-to-seat calculations risks creating structural imbalances and eroding confidence in democratic processes.
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IWL Calls for Transparency and National Dialogue
IWL recommended the immediate publication of the census-based methodology used to justify the 14 seats and called for a full cost-benefit analysis covering at least 10 years before any law is enacted. Aidoo also urged nationwide consultations with civil society, experts, and citizens to determine whether Liberia can bear the financial weight of a larger Legislature, suggesting that any expansion be postponed until the economy stabilizes and governance reforms are achieved.
He further encouraged the Legislature to pursue reforms that strengthen representation without increasing costs, such as improving constituency engagement and enhancing legislative performance. "We call on the Liberian Senate to reject this proposal," Aidoo said. "We have already written the Speaker of the House, Richard Nagbe Koon, and the President Pro Tempore, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, and we hope they will see reason to seek the country's interest against this proposal."
