It can be recalled that on Wednesday, October 26, 2023, at 11:00 AM, the LPP endorsed the Unity Party in the run-off election based on its expectation that of the two parties remaining in the presidential race, the UP was a better choice in governing Liberia, consistent with the Ten Points Agenda of the LPP. It is important to note that UP’s endorsement by the LPP was not preceded by any discussion between the two parties on forming an alliance or any other political consideration. It was based purely on national interest. LPP even lost four of its partisans in campaigning for the UP during the second round of the presidential elections. Therefore, as a party that supported UP during the second round, the LPP has a moral duty to help UP succeed by speaking the truth about its performance. 

The Liberian People's Party, in its commitment to truth and transparency, acknowledges the government's notable achievements, while also noting some missteps that need to be addressed for the betterment of Liberia.

Achievements and Concerns
The Party commends the Boakai/Koung administration for the achievements made under its 100-day deliverables. At the same time, it notes some missteps that have the potential to undermine public trust and the building of a better Liberia.

1.  LPP welcomes the signing of Executive Order # 131, establishing the War and Economic Crimes Court following a somewhat redemptive action taken by both houses of the 55th Legislature to pass a resolution to establish the court. This is indeed a great step towards bringing closure to the 14-year civil conflict, ending the culture of impunity, and strengthening the atmosphere of peace while promoting a culture of accountability. The LPP will closely monitor the administration to ensure that this court becomes operational and serves its purpose effectively, without delay.  

2. LPP commends the government for efforts made during the first 100 days to rehabilitate some very challenging roads in rural Liberia, especially in Lofa and Southeastern Liberia.

3. LPP also commends the minimum efforts made thus far by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, Water and Sewer Corporation, and the Liberia Revenue Authority, amongst others, to take steps in the right direction in their respective institutions.  

While the LPP notes with satisfaction some positive steps taken thus far, it has observed many missteps and wishes to highlight a few of them as follows:

a) FORMATION OF INCLUSIVE GOVERNMENT
Contrary to President Boakai's promise to the Liberian people that he would form an inclusive government, meaning all Liberians would be represented in government, LPP notes with reservation that 8 counties have no representation in the cabinet. Senator Amara Konneh recently added his voice to the issue of inclusion. The GSA Director-General, Hon. Galamai Kortimai, speaking to a group of Lofa citizens, said that about 60% to 70% of the current government's senior positions are occupied by Lofa County citizens.  Sadly, President Boakai did not follow Section 10.2 of the Executive Law, which prescribes the legal formula for forming an inclusive government developed by the Legislature in 1973. The Law says, “As much as practicable, the President shall appoint one cabinet minister from each of the counties of Liberia.” Had President Boakai followed this law, he would have formed an inclusive government. On this issue of political inclusion, former President George Weah of the CDC has a better record. He retained UP’s Ministers of Internal Affairs, Transport, and Information, as well as the Director General of the cabinet and Director General of the GSA, amongst other UP officials.

b) VIOLATION OF THE PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT LAW
The Boakai administration violated the Liberia Public Financial Management (PFM) Law of 2009 when it requested and received $80K in United States dollars from the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) to purchase vehicles while former President George Weah was still the President of the Republic of Liberia.

The Boakai administration also violated Liberia PFM Law by concealing the source of the funds to purchase the 285 yellow machines. Honorable Mamaka Bility, Minister of State without Portfolio and Special Envoy of President Boakai, mentioned during the May 24, 2024, Cabinet Retreat that Liberia had acquired the machines. Are the 285 machines part of gifts or loans given to President Boakai in exchange for any of Liberia’s natural resources, including the Wologisi Mountain?

Additionally, why did the Boakai administration violate the PFM law and conceal $US254M in United States dollars to be borrowed during the 2024 calendar year? The Boakai administration reported only $US45M as money to be borrowed in 2024 within the National Budget instead of disclosing the actual amount of $US296M.

Further, LPP needs clarification of the 100-day deliverables, specifically regarding the Unity Party's evaluation method, to claim that 74% of major roads are passable during all seasons.  Reports given by NAMOTE and CENTAL, amongst other independent evaluations, have created more doubts over the government’s claim of success. LPP demands an independent audit of the 100-day deliverables.

KEY PRIORITIES AND CONCERNS OF LPP
As a policy-driven party, the LPP would emphasize the following priorities, as outlined in its position statement on October 26, 2023:

1) RULE OF LAW: The Boakai administration has and is undermining the rule of law by appointing or reassigning applicants who were indicted by the General Audit Commission and/or who have questionable characters. For example, the administration nominated Cllr. Cooper Kruah as Minister of Justice when the administration “ignored major red flag,” according to Frontpage Africa. The local newspaper added that Cllr Kruah was found guilty of ethical practices as a lawyer by the Grievance and Ethics Committee of the Supreme Court of Liberia, a ruling based on information from 150 pages of the Court’s records. Similar to the Weah administration, where a nominee for the post of Minister of Justice was withdrawn because of an ethical issue and renominated as Minister of Labor, Boakai’s nominee for the post of Minister of Justice was withdrawn and renominated for the post of Minister of Labor, thereby sending a very wrong message to the public that the Ministry of Labor is a dumping ground for cabinet nominees with ethical issues.

2) UNDERMINING THE SEPARATION OF POWERS
LPP notes that the Legislature frequently usurps the UP government's financial management powers. In the Party’s view, the National Legislature should be restricted to budget appropriation and oversight functions as provided in the Constitution of Liberia. According to the Constitution of Liberia, spending lies exclusively within the executive branch's province.

3) WASTEFUL SPENDING
Neither the President nor the Vice President should hire private jets. It sends a very wrong signal to the people of Liberia and sympathetic partners of Liberia about the actual state of the Liberian economy. Also, the government should stop purchasing luxurious vehicles for government officials. Additionally, the government should increase the life span (depreciation period) for new government vehicles to six years instead of three years. These steps will save money for investment in health, agriculture, education, road construction, and maintenance.

4) IGNORING AFRICA IN ITS FOREIGN POLICY AGENDA-
Since his inauguration as President of Liberia, President Boakai has not attended any meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) or the African Union. He has also made no effort to build a strong relationship with the MANO River Union. This was a wrong start for the Boakai Administration.

Given Liberia’s conflict history, any Liberian President must seek to strengthen Liberia’s relationship with the Mano River Union and ECOWAS in the interest of Liberia's national security. Also, Liberia was a founding member of the African Union, beginning with the meeting of Presidents Ahmed Sekou Toure of Guinea, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, and William V. S. Tubman of Liberia from July 15-19, 1959, in Sanniquellie and ECOWAS in Lagos on May 28, 1975, cannot make these organizations secondary in its foreign policy consideration. Also, it was a big mistake for the President to have been absent at the recent meeting of the African Development Bank in Kenya.

5) Publish the assets declared by all government officials along with their salaries. The Boakai administration is undermining the country’s anti-corruption policy. President Boakai has failed to publish his declared assets, and Vice President Jeremiah Koung has failed to declare and publish his declared assets. The failure to publish asset declarations of government officials hampers anti-corruption efforts. This delay in declaring and publishing information on assets declared will undoubtedly undermine the idea and practice of “Lifestyle audits,” as recommended by the LPP.  In light of these concerns, the LPP calls on the President, Vice President, and all government officials to declare and publish their assets. This act of transparency is essential for rebuilding public trust and demonstrating a genuine commitment to fighting corruption.

6) Bad governance by inflating revenue and hiding debt or loans:
Inflating revenue or hiding debts is bad governance. The Sirleaf administration increased revenue in 2006/2007 to $US 148M from $US 83M in 2005/2006 and failed to explain the extra revenue of $US 65M in United States dollars generated in 2006/2007. Affected by the concept of revenue inflation, the Weah administration deleted the report of $US 222M revenue shortfalls published by the Central Bank of Liberia in 2018, while the 2018 National Budget documents reported minuscule revenue shortfalls. In subsequent years, the Weah administration didn’t report $US 188M and $US 222M as loans in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The Boakai administration has not so far been different. It concealed $US 251M loans to be borrowed, while it reported only $US 45M as loans in 2024.

7) Accountability and transparency: Liberians were happy when the Boakai administration issued Executive Order # 126, effectively authorizing the retrieval and recovery of national assets. Unfortunately, that happiness has faded as members of the Assets Recovery Team continue to fight for power. Instead of the administration reorganizing the Assets Recovery Team, it should provide logistical support for the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and instruct it to set up an asset recovery unit within the LACC. The LPP strongly believes that strengthening existing institutions is a better way to improve governance than creating ad hoc teams. Also, the hope that some Liberians had that the Boakai administration would seek evidence and launch an investigation of officials whom the American government has sanctioned for corruption is now dead. To rekindle the hope of the Liberian people in the government’s commitment to promoting accountability and combatting impunity, the LPP urges the Government of Liberia to contact the relevant American officials to begin investigating and prosecuting all sanctioned Liberians. Most importantly, the administration must revisit the appointment of officials who are under investigation or have questionable character.

8) Combating Corruption
The government should empower institutions like the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) with greater autonomy and resources to effectively investigate and prosecute corruption cases. Please ensure that government appointments are based on merit, competence, and a track record of integrity rather than political connections or favoritism. Corruption in Liberia continues to worsen, irrespective of which party is in power. For instance, within the past two years (2022 and 2023), the government borrowed $US410M ($US188M, $US222M) and has projected to borrow $US296M in 2024 without any improvement in the lives of the people in terms of healthcare, education, food sufficiency, improved roads, amongst others.  

9) Road Maintenance
LPP commends the ruling Unity Party for embracing LPP’s idea of regularly maintaining our major roads across Liberia. It also welcomes the announcement of the procurement of the 285 machines. However, the Party doesn’t see a commensurable appropriation within the national budget to support the procurement of the machines, the purchase of spare parts, the training and hiring of road maintenance crew, and the establishment of road maintenance workstations within all fifteen Counties. All government purchases must be consistent with the law.

Sector-Specific Observations
Education: LPP acknowledges progress in paying scholarship arrears and WASSE fees. However, the Party urges a more systemic approach to educational reform, including increased budgetary allocation similar to Sierra Leone's model. Sierra Leone allocates about 22% of its national budget for education, while Liberia allocates about 15%. More alarming, the Boakai administration has reduced budgetary allocations for education in succeeding years as follows:

Agriculture: Agriculture is the backbone of Liberia’s economy and a key area of focus for the LPP. Its members have consistently advocated for implementing the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security. It commits African nations to allocate at least 10 percent of their national budgets to agriculture and rural development. The Boakai administration appropriated $US8M, a little over 1%, for agriculture, in stark contrast to the 10% commitment made by Liberia under the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security protocol during the Sirleaf administration. Unfortunately, the Boakai/Koung allocated $US69M to pay domestic debts but, at the same time, appropriated $ US5 M for agriculture, the engine of Liberia's economy.

How can the UP expect Liberia to address hunger and boost agriculture meaningfully with such minimal funding? A mere 1% investment is insufficient to transform Liberia's agricultural sector, which requires substantial and sustained financial support to meet national food security goals.

The following points should encourage the Boakai administration to invest at least $US69M in agriculture:

1) Agriculture provides employment opportunities for Liberia's unemployed youths.
2) The government can use local food produced to feed patients at healthcare facilities, school students, and prison inmates.
3) Feeding students and employing unskilled youths would increase parents' influence over disenchanted youths.
4) Export of Food, including cassava, in the world market can thereby increase tax revenue;
5) Hiring and transferring youths from cities to rural towns through job creation in agricultural projects could reduce the high crime rate in Monrovia and other cities.
6) Creating agriculture-related jobs in rural Liberia can provide jobs for rural residents and reverse the massive rural-urban migration.
7) Producing meat (cow, poultry, fish, hog, goat, etc.) in the country would improve the diet of children, patients, inmates in our prisons, etc., and
8) Increasing the production and sale of local food can reduce Liberia's negative trade balance.

Conclusion
While the Unity Party has made some progress, the LPP remains skeptical about the depth and sustainability of these efforts. LPP recommends the following immediate actions:

1.    Full Budget Allocation to Agriculture: Adhere to the Maputo Declaration by allocating at least 10 percent of the national budget to agriculture.

2.    Operational Diagnostic Centers: Fast-track the establishment and operation of regional diagnostic centers.

3.    Transparent Infrastructure Reporting: Provide detailed progress reports with timelines for all infrastructural projects.

4.    Comprehensive Education Reform: Implement systemic changes to enhance the quality of education, such as increasing teachers' salaries, supplying books and more reading materials for students, and eliminating graduation fees and other such fees to make education attractive.   

5.    Effective Implementation of Executive Order # 131: Ensure the War and Economic Crimes Court is swiftly operational to prosecute cases effectively.

6.    Redirect funds in the 2024 budget to establish Public Works Stations within the fifteen counties to maintain highways and farm-to-market roads year-round instead of hiring private contractors. The LPP's core idea is year-round government maintenance using publicly operated machinery, and it will be pleased to see UP adopt this forward-thinking approach.

7.    LPP urges the ruling UNITY PARTY (UP) to foster a sustainable development initiative in creating a free Enterprise and Private Capitalist system designed to attract foreign investors in the private sector.

8.    LPP calls on the (UP) to vigorously end the culture of impunity, lawlessness, and corruption at all societal levels.

9. LPP also calls on the government to introduce modern methods, techniques, and Systematic approaches across key sectors: health, Agriculture, Sanitation, and Education. These sectors will enhance the efficiency, quality, and accessibility of services to improve Liberia's overall standards of living.

10.  LPP calls on the UP government to treat all former Liberian leaders with respect and dignity and to provide them with maximum security at all times, thereby promoting peace, stability, national unity, and cohesion.

The LPP will remain vigilant in holding the government accountable. LPP demands clarity, transparency, and tangible results in all promised areas. The Liberians deserve more than promises; they deserve real, measurable progress.

The  LPP will continue to interrogate and challenge the current administration to ensure that the interests of all Liberians are being served. LPP calls on all citizens to join the Party and demand accountability and excellence from our leaders.

The government is a place to serve, not to steal.

A Better Liberia is Possible

J Yanqui Zaza

 National Chairman 

Liberian People’s Party