-As Group Pushes for Out-of-Country Voting Right, Removal of “Restrictions” in the Dual Citizenship Law

The umbrella Liberian diaspora group, All-Liberian Conference on Dual Citizenship (ALCOD), has begun its push for out-of-country voting right for Liberians of voting ages in the diaspora.

In order to achieve this feat, an ALCOD delegation, headed by Co-Chairman, Mr. Kingston Wleh, visited Monrovia to meet with stakeholders.

Wleh and colleagues’ push is also aimed at eliminating the “restrictions” in the Dual Citizenship law that was passed by the 54th Legislature and signed into law by former President George Weah on July 22, 2022.

As the ALCOD delegation went about their working meetings, they sought counsels from lawmakers, members of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s Administration and officers of the National Elections Commission (NEC). Their visit to Liberia was also to assess the impact of dual citizenship after two years of its passage into law.

Among those they met is the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa, who was very instrumental in the passage of the Dual Citizenship law in 2022. When he served as Deputy House Speaker during the 54th Legislature, Cllr. Koffa was one of the chief sponsors of the Dual Citizenship bill that sailed smoothly through the House without any “restrictions”. Now as the Speaker of the 55th Legislature, he assured the ALCOD Co-Chairman that he is willing to work with the group to get the “restrictions” removed and for out-of-country voting to become a reality. Speaker Koffa recommended to the delegation to meet other lawmakers, and he will help if necessary.

The delegation also met with officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Mr. Gabriel H. Sale, Deputy Minister for Administration, Dr. Ibrahim Nyei, Deputy Minister for International Cooperation and Economic Integration, Cllr. Jeddi Mowbray Armah, Deputy Minister for Legal Affairs and Mr. Charles B. Blake, Head of Diaspora Office. The meeting was to assess the Foreign Ministry’s own implementation in making “Once A Liberian, Always A Liberian” a reality as it relates to issuing Ordinary Liberian Passports to Liberians with dual citizenship and providing an operational definition by way of documentation to Liberia’s foreign missions around the world. ALCOD is to establish a working relationship with the Diaspora Office at the Foreign Ministry to help meet the needs of diaspora Liberians as they return home.

The Foreign Ministry’s officials happily welcomed the ALCOD delegation and expressed their willingness to work with the group to make the Diaspora community more inclusive and helpful.

Meanwhile, ALCOD has said that it is going to seek clarification from the Supreme Court and the National Elections Commission on the terminologies of “constituency” and “absentee ballot” as it relates to Liberians with dual citizenship.

According to Article 80 ‘C’ of the Liberian Constitution, “Every Liberian citizen shall have the right to be registered in a constituency, and to vote in public elections only in the constituency where registered, either in person or by absentee ballot; provided that such citizen shall have the right to change his voting constituency as may be prescribed by the Legislature.”

A legal clarification by the Supreme Court of Liberia about “constituency” and “absentee ballot” will resolve the issue of out-of-country voting or provide the opportunity for lawmakers to legislatively resolve the issue of “constituency” and “absentee ballot” for Liberians with dual citizenship.

Background

ALCOD started the campaign advocating for dual citizenship in December 2012 and achieved it in July 2022. ALCOD is diaspora Liberians premier organization advocating for dual citizenship and out-of-country voting.

On Thursday, November 11, 2021, the House of Representatives passed into law the Act amending the country’s Alien and Nationality Law.

The Act, which was co-sponsored by thirty lawmakers from the House, was read in plenary on November 2, 2021. It sought to amend Part III, Chapter 20, Section 20.1; Chapter 21, Sections 21.30, 21.31, 21.51 & 21.52 and Chapter 22, Sections 22.1, 22.1 & 22.4 of the Aliens and Nationality Law of the Liberian Code of Law Revised, Vol. II. This was done under the auspices of ALCOD, representing more than 500,000 Liberians living in the diaspora.

Following the passage in the House, the Senate on Friday, May 19, 2022, concurred with the House to amend provisions of Liberian Aliens and Nationality Law, which caused automatic loss of Liberian citizenship. The Senate’s amendment essentially confirms a famous saying of ALCOD, “Once a Liberian, Always a Liberian.”

Few weeks following the enactment of the law on July 22, 2022, ALCOD disclosed that more than 1000 Liberians with dual citizenship obtained their ‘Ordinary Liberian Passport’. According to ALCOD, with wide publicity on getting passports, it is expected that about 15,000 Liberians with dual citizenship are expected to get their passport by the end of 2026.

The diaspora Liberian umbrella group further said that before the passage of the law, Liberians with dual citizenship could not vote in any national elections. “Liberians with dual citizenship are now obtaining national ID card and also are voting. In the 2023 Presidential and General Elections, over 2000 Liberians with dual citizenship voted.