LIBERIA STANDS at a delicate moment in its post-war journey. The country has often been praised for maintaining electoral continuity and avoiding a return to open conflict, yet beneath that surface stability lies a growing unease.
THIS CONCERN is no longer about whether Liberia can hold elections, but whether its institutions still reflect the spirit of democracy or are gradually being reshaped by the weight of political power.
WHAT IS unfolding is not dramatic or sudden. It is a slow tightening of control, a steady expansion of influence by those who hold office. Incumbency, which should function as a temporary mandate to govern, is increasingly being treated as a shield against opposition and a tool for consolidating authority.
OVER TIME, this shift begins to distort the very institutions that are meant to provide balance.
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THE EXPULSION Friday of Monsterrado County District 10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah offers a clear window into this reality. The House of Representatives acted within its numerical strength. The votes were secured, and the constitutional threshold was met. Yet numbers alone do not define justice. When a legislature moves decisively against one of its most outspoken critics, the action invites deeper scrutiny.
KOLUBAH'S POLITICAL identity cannot be separated from his fate. He was not a quiet participant in national discourse. He was confrontational, persistent, and often uncomfortable for those in authority.
HIS EXPULSION, therefore, raises a fundamental question. Was this an act of institutional discipline, or was it the silencing of a dissenting voice under the cover of procedure?
THE SPEED AND COORDINATION surrounding his expulsion suggest more than routine enforcement of rules. They point to a calculated effort to remove a figure who challenged the prevailing order. This is why many observers see the episode not simply as a lawful decision, but as a political witch hunt carried out with procedural backing. When power is used in this way, legality becomes a tool rather than a safeguard.
THIS pattern is not new.
LIBERIA'S RECENT political history reveals a consistent trend in which institutional processes are deployed to achieve political ends. The leadership struggle involving ex-Speaker Fonati Koffa reflects a similar dynamic. His removal was presented as a matter of leadership failure, yet the intensity of the campaign against him indicated a deeper contest for control.
THE LEGISLATURE, which should operate as an independent branch, appeared instead as a battleground shaped by alliances and influence. Koffa's resistance and his allegations of external pressure underscored the extent to which internal decisions may be guided by forces beyond the chamber itself. Such developments weaken the principle of separation of powers and blur the lines between governance and political strategy.
THE JUDICIARY has also faced its share of pressure.
THE IMPEACHMENT of former Associate Justice Kabineh Ja'neh during the presidency of George Weah remains a defining example. The process moved forward despite significant legal objections, including a stay order that should have halted proceedings. The eventual ruling by the ECOWAS Court, declaring the removal unconstitutional, reinforced the perception that the action was driven by motives beyond the law.
WHEN JUDICIAL independence is compromised, the consequences extend far beyond a single case. Courts serve as the final check on power. If they are seen as vulnerable to political influence, public confidence in justice begins to erode. A system without trusted courts cannot sustain a healthy democracy.
LOOKING FURTHER back, the removal of Speaker Edwin Melvin Snowe during the administration of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf follows the same pattern. Legislative alliances were mobilized, and leadership was reshaped through political manoeuvring. Though each case has its own context, the underlying theme remains consistent. Power is used to reconfigure institutions in ways that favor those who hold it.
THESE REPEATED episodes are not isolated incidents. They form a chain of events that reveals a deeper structural issue. Regardless of which administration is in charge, the temptation to use incumbency as a means of control persists. This continuity suggests that the challenge Liberia faces is embedded within its political culture rather than confined to any single government.
THE CUMULATIVE effect is a gradual weakening of democratic norms. Institutions begin to lose their neutrality. Decisions are increasingly viewed through a political lens. Citizens grow sceptical, questioning whether outcomes are determined by principle or by convenience. Over time, this scepticism can harden into distrust.
FOR A COUNTRY with Liberia's history, this is a dangerous path. The collapse of institutions in the past led to consequences that are still fresh in national memory.
THE PROGRESS made since then was built on the understanding that governance must be anchored in fairness, accountability, and respect for dissent. When those principles begin to fade, the foundation itself becomes unstable.
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THE CASE of Kolubah should therefore be seen as more than a single political event. It is part of a broader narrative about how power is exercised and how dissent is treated. Labelling it a political witch hunt is not simply rhetoric. It reflects a growing concern that opposition voices are being systematically pushed aside through institutional means.
LIBERIA IS not in crisis, but it is under strain. The signs are subtle, yet they are significant. A democracy does not fail overnight. It weakens gradually, as norms are bent and precedents are set. Each action that prioritizes control over fairness adds to that decline.
THE PATH forward requires more than acknowledgment. It demands restraint from those in power and vigilance from those outside it. Institutions must be allowed to function independently, not as extensions of political authority.
DISSENT must be protected, not punished.
LIBERIA HAS come too far to ignore these warning signs. The challenge now is to ensure that its democratic journey does not stall or reverse. Stability is not measured only by the absence of conflict, but by the presence of justice, balance, and trust. Without these, the promise of democracy becomes increasingly diffic
