The Voices of the Elders of Liberia Inc. (VOTE R/L), a civil society organization (CSO) comprising eminent Liberians, has cautioned members of the House of Representatives to retain the current 73 seats in that august body.
The call was made recently in Monrovia, through the group Chairperson, Elder Maureen Johnson-Hutchinson, a renowned educator.
Reading the group position statement, Elder Johnson-Hutchinson asserted that they have delivered their petition statement to members of both Houses of the National Legislature.
According to her, the statement called on the House of Representatives to prescribe a number which will serve as the threshold for the National Elections Commission (NEC), to determine the number of constituencies in the country prior to the conduct of the 2029 general and presidential elections to ensure constitutionality of the process.
“This statement is calling for correction of a Legislative Error, and states that “on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, the plenary of the House of Representatives of Liberia, acting under the gavel of Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon, passed a resolution to increase the number of electoral constituency seats in the House of Representatives of the National Legislature,” Elder Johnson-Hutchinson said.
Accordingly, Article 80(d) of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia provides that: ‘Each constituency shall have an approximately equal population of 20,000 or such number of citizens as the Legislature shall prescribe in keeping with population growth and movements as revealed by a national census; provided that the total number of electoral constituencies in the Republic shall not exceed one hundred.
She said Article 80(e) of the same 1986 Constitution provides that: “Immediately following a national census and before the next elections, the Elections Commission shall reapportion the constituencies in accordance with the new population figures so that every constituency shall have as close to the same population as possible; provided, however, that a constituency must be solely within a county.”
Elder Johnson-Hutchinson declared in their statement that pursuant to the articles stated above, the decision of the House of Representatives to decide on the number of representative seats each county should have, is a legislative error; tantamount to constitutional violation, which, if not corrected, will call into question the constitutionality of the 2029 general and presidential elections.
Based on the above stated constitutional provisions, Elder Johnson-Hutchinson has therefore called on members of the House of Representatives of the 55th Legislature, to reconsider and rescind the decision they took on December 9, 2025, reapportioning seats in the House of Representatives.
“The Elders advised that members of the House of Representatives should set the threshold at 72,000 citizens per electoral constituency, and all the other constitutional steps be taken including the President signing it into law. It is this law NEC will follow to create electoral constituencies for the 2029 elections.”
She indicated that the suggested threshold of 72,000 means that the number of seats in the House of Representatives will remain at a total of 73 seats.
The Elders also confirmed in their statement that they are aware of the population realities and when the threshold is set at 72,000, it will lead to some counties gaining seats while others will lose seats.
It can be recalled that the group petition statement to members of the Legislature was signed on August 28, 2026, by more than 20 Elders, including Sister Mary Laurene Browne, an educator and religious leader, Rupel E. Marshall, Sr., former Superintendent of Montserrado County, Blamoh Nelson, former Ambassador and Senator, and former Minister of Internal Affairs, Maureen Johnson-Hutchinson, Chairperson of VOTE R/L, Willie M. Bemah, former Central Bank Accountant, Margretta Sawo Smith-General, and Bishop Dr. Jerry C.M. Yarkpa. Others are Olubanke King Akerele, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Commerce and Industry, Dr. Anthony Barclay, former UN Staff, Thompson N.W. Chea, former Local Government Official, Yvette Chesson-Gibson, Women Advocate, and S. Nagbe Jarteh.
Among the Elders who attended the press conference on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, were Dr. Evelyn Kandakai, former Minister of Education, Dr. Roseda E. Marshall, a renowned medical executive and pediatrician, and Rev. Rachael Jarboe; writes Macpherson C. Marbiah
