Reconstituting Democratic Governance Arrangements in Liberia : Re-examining A Framework of Peace-building <Articles>

This study stressed that the Liberian civil wars were the outcome of grievances that arose over historical poor governance arrangements. Upon foundation, constitutional rules made it possible for Liberia to drift towards an over-centralist state and the establishment of a unitary president-centred structure of government that gave the president sweeping powers over all matters of government. This eventually translated to tyranny and domination of the executive over the ordinary citizens that provided a fertile ground for a 14 year civil war in the country. This research work therefore argues that political stability and by extension sustainable post-war reconstruction in Liberia would very much depend on ideal governance arrangements that is deeply rooted in the interests and values that define the daily life of the Liberian people or a governance arrangement that is compatible with Liberia's political institutions and socio-cultural formations. This can be achieved when the formulation of the country's constitution and craft of governance arrangements is done through the process of constitutional choice. My argument hints that the outcome of the process of constitutional choice is a government with limited constitutional authority, which will lead to a viable "democratic self-governing" political order in Liberia. I argued that through such process, the country would become a self-governing society rather than state—governed society.