By Wilmot Konah | +231775793638|dadekolly20@gmail.com
MONROVIA — The Executive Chairperson of the Law Reform Commission of Liberia, Cllr. Bornor M. Varmah, has urged lawmakers to ensure that proposed amendments to the country’s electoral laws align with the Constitution and promote a more inclusive and credible electoral process ahead of the 2029 elections.
Cllr. Varmah made the call Tuesday, September 22, 2026, during a legislators’ briefing on electoral reform at the Boulevard Hotel in Monrovia. The briefing brought together members of the House Committee on Elections and Inauguration, representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women, the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division and other stakeholders.
Varmah said the briefing comes at a critical moment as lawmakers work to finalize proposed amendments to the New Elections Law, while reform recommendations from the National Elections Commission (NEC) are also moving through the legislative process. “It is essential that legislators have the benefit of sound technical guidance, including comparative experience from the region and beyond, on the issues under consideration,” he said.
Among the issues highlighted by Varmah are women’s political representation, the institutional structure of Liberia’s electoral bodies and broader measures aimed at strengthening an inclusive and credible electoral process.
He said the Law Reform Commission is advancing its own work on amendments to the Elections Law as part of its mandate to ensure that Liberia’s laws remain consistent with the Constitution and responsive to the country’s needs. “We are mandated to ensure that the laws of Liberia remain consistent with our Constitution and responsive to the country’s needs,” Varmah stated.
The Commission plans to conduct a peer review with key national stakeholders before holding a national validation exercise involving representatives from all 15 counties and members of the Legislature. Varmah said the process would help broaden national ownership of the proposed reforms.
He also called for stronger coordination among the House Committee on Elections and Inauguration, NEC, the Law Reform Commission and development partners. “Coordination among the Committee, the National Elections Commission, the Law Reform Commission and development partners can strengthen the quality and consistency of the reform proposals,” he said.
Varmah welcomed the continued support of UNDP, UN Women and the UN Electoral Assistance Division, saying the technical assistance would contribute to Liberia’s ongoing electoral reform process, noting that the goal is to ensure that Liberia’s electoral reforms are “well-informed, broadly owned, and ready in good time for the 2029 elections.”
