Liberia diaspora rejoices, opposition urges boycott of constitutional referendum

Liberians go to the polls on Tuesday to vote in a midterm senate election as well as a constitutional referendum intended to amend several provisions of the country's 1986 constitution – but opposition parties are calling for a boycott.

“We are not participating in a referendum because it has not met the criteria spelled out in the constitution,” said Benoni Urey, head of the All Liberian Party, at a meeting in Monrovia, the capital.

“If they go ahead with it that is their business-- we will not respect the results of it,” he added.

The referendum is seeking to reduce the current six-year presidential and representatives' tenures to five years and reduce the tenure of senators from nine to seven years respectively.

Some see this election as a litmus test for the country's ability to sustain itself democratically since the end of the UN mission two years ago.

“We should not condone a consistent violation of our laws and our constitution,” said Mo Ali, an official of the collaborating political parties, adding that this is what could scare investors off, especially if changes start to erode democracy.

Dual citizenship for the diaspora

However, one of the key proposals in the referendum is the offer of dual citizenship, which could encourage growth and investment.

“When it comes to dual citizenship, I agree that Liberia will develop faster and people will be at peace to bring development an investment because now they have ownership,” Richard Holder, 35, a resident of Monrovia's Sinkor neighbourhood, told RFI. He said he's planning to vote yes.

In his tour across the country in an effort to secure a positive outcome in the referendum, President George Weah told rural Liberians at rally in northwest Bomi County that their relatives who emigrated to neighbouring countries or even the United States could final be brought home.

“During the war, those Liberians that went to foreign countries and sought (another) nationality cannot be citizens here -- that is unfair. So vote yes to all,” Weah told the crowd.

Diaspora Liberians with the All Liberian Conference on Dual Citizenship group have also joined the government to campaign for a yes vote.

“If we vote yes to all, those with dual citizenship will now be qualified to own land,” said Emmanuel Wettee, the head of the group.

“This will replace brain drain with brain gain-- those that would be coming will bring additional knowledge,” he added.

No room for third term

Although some see a benefit from this upcoming referendum, others believe that this vote could enable Weah to change the constitution so he can run for a third term. He is nearly halfway through his first tenure.

“Technically Weah can serve his two six-year terms and then be eligible for another five years giving him 17 years in power,” said political figure Reginald Goodridge.

The polls come at a time when there are concerns in the region, including an electoral crisis in Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire, two of Liberia's neighbours where the leaders sought constitutional amendments to seek third terms.

But former chief justice Gloria Musu Scott, who headed the constitution review process that yielded the referendum propositions, allayed fears that a yes vote would permit incumbent Weah to seek a third term.

“The last sentence in Article 50 (of the Liberian Constitution) says, 'no person shall serve as President for more than two terms,'” she said during an outreach organized by the Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives in rural Montserrado.

“Article 93 talks specifically about the limitation of the presidential term of office to a two-term durations may be subject to amendments provided that the amendments shall not become effective during the term of office of the incumbent,” she added.

Not all opposition members believe Weah will be able to gain a third term, let alone a second one.

“We're not concerned with that,” said Unity Party official Ali. “He's not getting a second term so let's not venture into third term argument,” he added.

Scott also expressed her disappointment in the Electoral Commission for going ahead with the referendum despite Liberians' limited awareness on the propositions.

“The Supreme Court has created the space for the commission to correct the wrongs and the time to review the entire process in line with the constitution. But to force the referendum, I don't think the commission wanted to set that precedent,” she noted.

As it stands, opposition leaders in the country are pushing for a no vote on all the propositions.

Following the court's ruling, the electoral commission announced the arrival of the ballot papers for the conduct of the elections on Thursday but opposition leaders as well as the Council of Churches, the Liberian Bar Association and civil society actors have disagreed, calling for a halt to the entire process.