Several civil society organizations have condemned ongoing political intrusions by some county legislative caucuses and local government authorities to undermine County Council Structures established across the country Liberia.
The concerned organizations include the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, Integrity Watch Liberia, the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia, Accountability Lab Liberia, and Naymote Partners for Democratic Development.
Issuing a joint statement on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 Integrity Watch Liberia Executive Director Harold M. Aidoo said the County Council Structure is in accordance with Chapter 2, Subsection 2.3 and Chapter 9, Subsection 9 of the Local Government Act of 2028. Therefore, politicians must respect their independence and mandates.
He said the Local Government Act is a cornerstone of Liberia’s decentralization policy, designed to strengthen local governance, foster accountability and transparency, and promote citizens’ participation in decision-making processes at the local level.
Mr. Aidoo said any attempts to undermine these efforts represent a direct affront to the democratic values and principles that the Act, 1986 Liberian Constitution, and other good governance and accountability frameworks embody, and the county councils, as established by law, are the legitimate bodies charged with the responsibility to represent the interests of their counties, including developing local policies and overseeing implementation and tracking of priorities and targets of citizens-driven county development agendas.
“Unfortunately, recent actions by some political actors who seek to manipulate these bodies for personal gain threaten to derail the progress made in promoting inclusive governance, transparency, and accountability at the local level. These intrusions have taken the form of undue interference in council activities, coercion of council members, and the imposition of decisions without proper consultation, which violate the spirit and intent of the Local Government Act,” he said.
Aidoo called on all current and would-be political and other actors, especially members of the Legislature and the Executive, to respect the autonomy and independence of County Councils, as stipulated in the Local Government Act of 2018.
“We remind them that the law clearly mandates that these councils are to operate independently, free from direct and indirect political interference (s), and guided by the collective will of the people they represent. The legitimacy of these councils must be upheld; their autonomy must not be compromised by individuals and groups seeking to advance personal or partisan agendas at the expense of good governance and the collective will of the people. Also, we call on the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the Legislature to take immediate steps to investigate and address these instances of political interference,” Aidoo said.
According to him, any attempts to subvert the legitimate functions of county councils undermine Liberia’s efforts towards democratic decentralization, weaken local governance structures, and betray the aspirations of the Liberian people for a more inclusive and accountable government.
He urged civil society organizations, community-based organizations, traditional leaders, the media and all well-meaning Liberians to remain vigilant and to speak out against current and future interferences with the composition, functions, and activities and processes of County Councils and other relevant local government structures.
He said the success of Liberia’s decentralization process hinges on individual and collective commitments to uphold the laws of the land and to resist any direct and indirect actions that undermine the authority and independence of local governance structures, the County Councils in this instance.
