Monrovia — The Legislative Monitoring Coalition of Liberia (LEMCOL), comprising of 16 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has released its legislative monitoring report on the 55th National Legislature, highlighting the failure of lawmakers to hold legislative debates before the passage of key legislations and intimidation of a female lawmaker.
The report also named persistent late start of session at the Liberian Senate, recurring quorum violations at the House of Representatives, the failure of both houses to place about 92% of legislative documents on official website, variable in House attendance and the closure of plenary Committee sessions to Civil Society Organizations and the media remain key issues of concern at the Legislature.
It can be recalled that during a plenary session at the Chamber of the House, Representative Moima Briggs Mensah raised procedural concerns about the manner in which legislative instruments were being passed by Yea and Nay rather than by clear recorded votes.
She was mandated to leave the session by the presiding officer.
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But LEMCOL notes that while voting procedures are outlined in the House Rules, every member has the right to express opinions regarding the improvement to the rules, without discrimination or intimidation.
The group maintained that this incident has the potential to deter other female lawmakers from participating, especially given their already low numbers in the Legislature.
The report, which covers the period of January to March 2026. also alarmed that critical transparency gap persists at the Legislature; with essential legislative documents, bills, reports and communication are largely unavailable on the Legislature's official website.
It noted that though the availability of website is also a marked improvement from the last quarter observation, over 85% of documents are still being accessed through informal social media channels, notably facebook pages and that of individual lawmakers socials, which creates significant archival and accessibility barrier for citizens, researchers, and media professionals, particularly those with limited internet access or in rural areas.
No punctuality
LEMCOL report pointed out that session punctuality remains a critical and unresolved challenge at both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
It added that though the Senate's standing rules (Article V Section 5.1) requires convening session at 11AM, and the House standing rules (Section 2.1) requires 10:00AM, neither chamber consistently adhered to their respective rules during the quarter.
It disclosed that the Senate convened the majority of sessions after noon in both February and March, while one session in March not commencing until 2PM.
LEMCOL maintained that the House of Representatives improved from an average of two hours 30 minutes delay in January to a consistent 30 to 60 minute delay.
Violating Quorums
Article 33 of the 1986 Liberian constitution and Rule 12.1 of the Rules and Procedures of the 55th Legislature require a simple majority for quorum before proceeding the discussion of substantive business.
But LEMCOL pointed out that its monitors recorded violations at the House of Representatives, in January when one plenary session proceeded without meeting the quorum requirement, raising constitutional legitimacy concerns over decisions reached during that sitting.
The group noted that the Senate achieved 100% quorum compliance in March, demonstrating that consistent compliance is attainable.
Lawmakers' attendance
According to the report, attendance was more stable in the Senate, consistently ranging between 17 and 26 senators and trending upward through the quarter.
It stated that the House of Representatives recorded more variable attendance throughout the quarter, with some sessions falling below the 50% threshold, raising concerns about the representativeness of decisions reached in those sessions.
The report also established that while 69% of sessions recorded lawmakers referencing feedback from their constituencies, only 36% of sessions referenced public opinion more broadly.
This, the report emphasized, indicates a gap between constituency engagement by individual lawmakers and systematic integration of public input into legislative deliberations.
Female Lawmaker Participation
According to the report, women's participation was significantly higher compared to the previous quarter.
It noted that out of the 39 monitored plenary sessions, 28 sessions, constituting 72% reflected high participation of female lawmakers, compared to consistently low participation recorded in Q4 2025.
It maintained that all three female senators at the Senate made substantive contributions during sessions in which they were present.
The report disclosed that female lawmakers introduced and supported four bills during the quarter, a significant milestone representing tangible lawmaking progress.
It named these bills as an Act on Disability and Inclusion (sponsored by Rep. Rugie Yatu Barry, Montserrado District #2, the Joint Legislative Committee, chaired by Rep. Moima Briggs Mensah, proposed amendments to ease resistance, including renaming the legislation the "Women and Girls Protection Act of 2025 against Female Genital Mutilation"
Others include: a bill, proposed by Priscilla A. Cooper of Montserrado electoral district #5 passed in Plenary at the House of Representatives, an "Act to Establish the National Rehabilitation Commission"which seeks to create a permanent, nationwide framework for planning, coordinating, and delivering rehabilitation and reintegration services for individuals with disabilities, those recovering from substance abuse, and other individuals in need of rehabilitative care and Representative Marie Johnson proposed legislation seeking to establish a Student Loan Program for Higher Education in Liberia, marking a significant step toward expanding access to education and strengthening the nation's human capital.
Recommendations
Meanwhile, LEMCOL has called for the enforcement of punctuality through the introduction of penalties for late commencement.
The group called for the requirement of written quorum certification before gaveling sessions in order to implement automatic adjournment without quorum.
It recommended the adoption of a thematic legislative calendar with dedicated periods for social policy bills; and quarterly committee reports on gender and youth legislation.
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"Both chambers should publish member attendance records monthly; establish accountability mechanisms for habitual absenteeism.Require all agenda deviations to be explained and recorded in official session minutes and sustain March improvement.Except for national security matters, the Legislature should open Committee deliberations on legislative instruments for public observation"
LEMCOL said both the House and Senate leaderships should prevent intimidation of women lawmakers, who are already in the minority, especially during plenary sessions.
"Lawmakers should exercise due diligence -- allowing time for research, quality public hearings, and cost-benefit analysis -- before passage."
The Legislative Monitoring Coalition of Liberia (LEMCOL) is a civil society and media-led initiative established to strengthen democratic governance through systematic, non-partisan monitoring of the National Legislature.
The Coalition comprises sixteen member organizations including the Institute for Democratic Action & Development (IDAD), Integrity Watch Liberia (IWL), and Institute for Research & Democratic Development (IREDD), Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), Center for Media Studies and Peace-building (CEMESP), and the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia, amongst others.
This initiative is co-funded by the European Union and the Embassies of Ireland and Sweden under the Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP), managed by UNDP and jointly implemented by UN Women and NIMD.
