President of Liberia
| President of the Republic of Liberia | |
|---|---|
 Presidential Standard | |
| Style | Mr. President (Informal) His Excellency (Formal) |
| Residence | Executive Mansion |
| Term length | Six years, renewable once |
| Inaugural holder | Joseph Jenkins Roberts January 3, 1848 |
| Formation | Constitution of Liberia July 26, 1847 |
| Deputy | Vice President of Liberia |
| Salary | US$90,000 annually |
| Website | www |
.jpg)
The President of the Republic of Liberia is the head of state and government of Liberia. The president serves as the leader of the executive branch and as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia.
The current President is Joseph Boakai since January 22, 2024.
History
[change | change source]Between 1847 and 1980, the presidency was exclusively held by Americo-Liberians, the original American settlers of Liberia and their descendants. The original two-party system, with the Republican Party and the True Whig Party, ended in 1878, when the election of Anthony W. Gardiner marked the beginning of 102 years of single-party rule by the True Whigs.
Under the 1986 Constitution, the president is directly elected by eligible voters to a six-year term, which may be renewed once. Overall, 22 individuals have served as president. On January 22, 2018, George Weah was sworn in as the twenty-fifth and current president.
Terms
[change | change source]Under the original 1847 Constitution, the president was elected to a two-year term, which was increased to four years on May 7, 1907.[1] Under this amendment, a new president would serve for eight years and could be re-elected to unlimited four-year terms.
Currently, the president is elected by popular vote to a six-year term and is limited to two terms.
Eligibility
[change | change source]To be eligible for office under the current Constitution, a presidential candidate must:
- be a natural born citizen of Liberia (per Art, 27(b) of the Constitution, citizenship is limited to "persons who are Negroes or of Negro descent");
- be at least thirty-five years old;
- own real property valued at least $25,000;
- have resided in Liberia for at least ten years.
List of presidents of Liberia
[change | change source]| N | Portrait | President (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | ||||
| 1 | 
|
Joseph Jenkins Roberts (1809–1876) |
January 3, 1848 | January 7, 1856 | Independent |
| 2 | Nathaniel Brander
(1796–1870) |
January 7, 1849 | January 7, 1849 | Independent | |
| (1) |
|
Joseph Jenkins Roberts
(1809–1876) |
January 7, 1849 | January 7, 1853 | Independent |
| 3 | Anthony D. Williams
(1799–1860 ) |
January 7, 1853 | January 7, 1853 | Independent | |
| (1) |
|
Joseph Jenkins Roberts
(1809–1876) |
January 7, 1853 | January 7, 1853 | Independent |
| 4 | Anthony D. Williams
(1799–1860 ) |
January 7, 1853 | January 7, 1853 | Independent | |
| (1) |
|
Joseph Jenkins Roberts
(1809–1876) |
January 7, 1853 | January 7, 1856 | Independent |
| 5 | 
|
Stephen Allen Benson (1816–1865) |
January 7, 1856 | January 4, 1864 | Independent |
| 6 | 
|
Daniel Bashiel Warner (1815–1880) |
January 4, 1864 | January 6, 1868 | Republican Party |
| 7 | 
|
James Spriggs Payne (1819–1882) |
January 6, 1868 | January 3, 1870 | Republican Party |
| 8 | 
|
Edward James Roye (1815–1872) |
January 3, 1870 | October 26 , 1871 (Deposed) |
True Whig Party |
| 9 | Charles Benedict Dunbar (1831 —1878) | October 26 , 1871 | November 15,1871 | Independent | |
| 10 | Reginald Sherman
( 1838 — 1894) |
November 15,1871 | November 20,1871 | Independent | |
| 11 | Amos Herring
(1794 — 1890) |
November 20,1871 | November 27,1871 | Independent | |
| 12 | 
|
James Skivring Smith (1825–1892) |
November 27,1871 | January 1, 1872 | True Whig Party |
| (1) |
|
Joseph Jenkins Roberts (1809–1876) |
January 1, 1872 | January 3, 1876 (Died) |
Republican Party |
| (8) |
|
James Spriggs Payne (1819–1882) |
January 3, 1876 | January 7, 1878 | Republican Party |
| 13 | 
|
Anthony W. Gardiner (1820–1885) |
January 7, 1878 | January 20, 1883 (Resigned) |
Independent |
| 14 | 
|
Alfred Francis Russell (1817–1884) |
January 20, 1883 | January 7, 1884 | True Whig Party |
| 15 | 
|
Hilary R. W. Johnson (1837–1901) |
January 7, 1884 | January 4, 1892 | True Whig Party |
| 16 | 
|
Joseph James Cheeseman (1843–1896) |
January 4, 1892 | November 12, 1896 (Died) |
True Whig Party |
| 17 | 
|
William D. Coleman (1842–1908) |
November 12, 1896 | December 11, 1900 | True Whig Party |
| 18 | 
|
Garretson W. Gibson (1832–1910) |
December 11, 1900 | January 4, 1904 | True Whig Party |
| 19 | 
|
Arthur Barclay (1854–1938) |
January 4, 1904 | January 1, 1912 | True Whig Party |
| 20 | 
|
Daniel Edward Howard (1861–1935) |
January 1, 1912 | January 5, 1920 | True Whig Party |
| 21 | .jpg)
|
Charles D. B. King (1875–1961) |
January 5, 1920 | December 3, 1930 (Resigned) |
True Whig Party |
| 22 | 
|
Edwin Barclay (1882–1955) |
December 3, 1930 | January 3, 1944 | True Whig Party |
| 23 | 
|
William Tubman (1895–1971) |
January 3, 1944 | July 23, 1971 (Died) |
True Whig Party |
| 24 | 
|
William Tolbert (1913–1980) |
July 23, 1971 | April 12, 1980 (Assassinated) |
True Whig Party |
| - | 
|
Samuel Doe (1951–1990) |
Chairman of the People's Redemption Council April 12, 1980 – January 6, 1986 |
Military / | |
| 25 | January 6, 1986 | September 9, 1990 | Military / | ||
| 26 | Prince Johnson (b. 1952) | September 9, 1990 | November 1 , 1990 | MilitaryConflicting claims | |
| 27 | Charles Taylor (b. 1948) | November 1 , 1990 | November 7 , 1990 | MilitaryConflicting claims | |
| 28 | David Nimley
(b. 1940) |
November 7 , 1990 | November 9 , 1990 | MilitaryConflicting claims | |
| 29 | 
|
Amos Sawyer (born 1945) |
President of the Interim Government of National Unity of Liberia September 9, 1990 – March 7, 1994 |
Liberian People's Party | |
| 30 |
|
David D. Kpormakpor (1935–2010) |
Chairman of the Council of State of Liberia March 7, 1994 – September 1, 1995 |
Independent | |
| 31 |
|
Wilton G. S. Sankawulo (1937–2009) |
Chairman of the Council of State of Liberia September 1, 1995 – September 3, 1996 |
Independent | |
| 32 |
|
Ruth Perry (1939–2017) |
Chairman of the Council of State of Liberia September 3, 1996 – August 2, 1997 |
Independent | |
| (27) | 
|
Charles Taylor (1948–) |
August 2, 1997 | August 11, 2003 (Resigned) |
National Patriotic Party |
| 33 |
|
Moses Blah (1947–2013) |
August 11, 2003 | October 14, 2003 (Resigned) |
National Patriotic Party |
| 34 | 
|
Gyude Bryant (1949–2014) |
Chairman of the Transitional Government of Liberia October 14, 2003 – January 16, 2006 |
Liberian Action Party | |
| 35 | Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (1938–) |
January 16, 2006 | January 22, 2010 | Unity Party | |
| 36 | Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
(1938–) |
January 22, 2010 | January 22, 2016 | Unity Party | |
| 37 | Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
(1938–) |
January 22, 2016 | January 22, 2018 | Unity Party | |
| 38 | .jpg)
|
George Weah (1966–) |
January 22, 2018 | January 22, 2024 | Congress for Democratic Change |
| 39 | Joseph Boakai
(born 1944) |
January 22, 2024 | Incumbent | Unity Party | |
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Starr, Frederick (1913). Liberia: Description, History, Problems. Chicago. p. 256. ISBN 9780598450234.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Other websites
[change | change source]- Enno Schulz, "Presidents of Liberia Archived 2006-06-15 at the Wayback Machine.