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Vice President of Liberia

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The vice president of the Republic of Liberia is the second-highest executive official in Liberia, and one of only two elected executive offices along with the president. The vice president is elected on the same ticket with the president to a six-year term. In the event of the death, resignation or removal of the president, the vice president ascends to the presidency, and holds the position for the remainder of their predecessor's term. The vice president also serves as the president of the Senate and may cast a vote in the event of a tie. The current vice president is Jeremiah Koung, serving under president Joseph Boakai. He began his term on January 22, 2024.

Vice President of the
Republic of Liberia
Coat of arms of Liberia
since January 22, 2024
StyleMr. Vice President
(Informal)
His Excellency
(Formal)
Term lengthSix years
Inaugural holderNathaniel Brander
January 3, 1848
Formation1847 Constitution of Liberia
July 26, 1847
Websitewww.emansion.gov.lr

Qualifications

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Article 52 of the Constitution lays out the qualifications for candidates for vice president. To be eligible for office under the current Constitution, a vice presidential candidate must:

  • be a natural born citizen of Liberia;
  • be at least thirty-five years old;
  • own real property valued at least $25,000;
  • have resided in Liberia for at least ten years.

Additionally, the vice president may not reside in the same county as the president.

Succession

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Under Article 63(b), the vice president ascends to the presidency in the event of president's death, resignation, impeachment, or when the president is declared incapable of carrying out the duties of the office. In the event of ascension, the vice president serves as president for the remainder of their predecessor's term, though this period is not considered a term for the purposes of term limits to the presidency. According to Article 63(a), should the president-elect die or become otherwise incapacitated before his or her inauguration, the vice president-elect is sworn in as president in their place, though a term of this nature does constitute a term for the purposes of determining term limits.

To date, five vice presidents have ascended to the presidency, either due to the president's death, resignation, or removal from office: James Skivring Smith, Alfred Francis Russell, William D. Coleman, William Tolbert, and Moses Blah.

There have been twelve vacancies in the office, the first of which occurred between October 26, 1871 and January 1, 1872; after the ascension of James Skivring Smith to the office of president. The most recent vacancy was between August 11, 2003 and January 16, 2006; after the ascension of Moses Blah to the office of president and prior to the election of Joseph Boakai.

List of officeholders

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Political parties
  Republican Party
  True Whig Party
  National Democratic Party
  National Patriotic Party
  Unity Party
Other affiliations
  Independent
Symbols

† Died in office

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Elected President Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
1   Nathaniel Brander
(1796–1870) 		January 3, 1848 January 7, 1850 2 years, 4 days Independent 1847 Roberts
2   Anthony D. Williams
(1799–1860) 		January 7, 1850 January 2, 1854 3 years, 360 days Independent 1849
1851
3   Stephen Allen Benson
(1816–1865) 		January 2, 1854 January 7, 1856 2 years, 5 days Independent 1853
4   Beverly Page Yates
(1811–1883) 		January 7, 1856 January 2, 1860 3 years, 360 days Independent 1855 Benson
1857
5   Daniel Bashiel Warner
(1815–1880) 		January 2, 1860 January 4, 1864 4 years, 2 days Independent 1859
1861
6   James M. Priest
(1819–1883) 		January 4, 1864 January 6, 1868 4 years, 2 days Republican Party 1863 Warner
1865
7   Joseph Gibson
(1823–1886) 		January 6, 1868 January 3, 1870 1 year, 362 days Republican Party 1867 Payne
8   James Skivring Smith
(1825–1884) 		January 3, 1870 October 26, 1871
(Ascended) 		1 year, 296 days True Whig Party 1869 Roye [note 1]
Vacancy by ascension October 26, 1871 January 1, 1872 Smith
9   Anthony W. Gardiner
(1820–1885) 		January 1, 1872 January 3, 1876 4 years, 2 days Republican Party 1871 Roberts
1873
10   Charles Harmon
(1832–1886) 		January 3, 1876 January 7, 1878 2 years, 4 days Republican Party 1875 Payne [note 2]
11   Alfred Francis Russell
(1817–1884) 		January 7, 1878 January 20, 1883
(Ascended) 		5 years, 13 days True Whig Party 1877 Gardiner [note 3]
1879
1881
Vacancy by ascension January 20, 1883 January 7, 1884 Russell
12   James Thompson
(?–?) 		January 7, 1884 January 4, 1892 7 years, 362 days True Whig Party 1883 Johnson
1885
1887
1889
13   William D. Coleman
(1842–1908) 		January 4, 1892 November 12, 1896
(Ascended) 		4 years, 313 days True Whig Party 1891 Cheeseman [note 4]
1893
1895
Vacancy by ascension November 12, 1896 January 3, 1898 Coleman
14   Joseph J. Ross
(1842–1899) 		January 3, 1898 October 24, 1899[†] 1 year, 294 days True Whig Party 1897 [note 5]
1899
Vacancy by death October 24, 1899 January 6, 1902
Gibson
15   Joseph D. Summerville
(1860–1905) 		January 6, 1902 July 27, 1905[†] 3 years, 202 days True Whig Party 1901 [note 6]
1903 A. Barclay
Vacancy by death July 27, 1905 January 1, 1906
16   James Jenkins Dossen
(1866–1924) 		January 1, 1906 January 1, 1912 6 years True Whig Party 1905
1907
17   Samuel George Harmon
(1861–1925) 		January 1, 1912 January 5, 1920 8 years, 4 days True Whig Party 1911 Howard
1915
18   Samuel Alfred Ross
(1870–1929) 		January 5, 1920 January 1, 1924 3 years, 361 days True Whig Party 1919 King
19   Henry Too Wesley
(1877–1944) 		January 1, 1924 January 2, 1928 4 years, 1 day True Whig Party 1923
20   Allen Yancy
(1881–1941) 		January 2, 1928 December 3, 1930
(Resigned) 		2 years, 335 days True Whig Party 1927 [note 7]
Vacancy by resignation December 3, 1930 1930 E. Barclay
21   James Skivring Smith Jr.
(1891–1950) 		1930 January 3, 1944 13–14 years True Whig Party
1931
1939
22   Clarence Lorenzo Simpson
(1896–1969) 		January 3, 1944 January 1, 1952 7 years, 363 days True Whig Party 1943 Tubman
23   William Tolbert
(1913–1980) 		January 1, 1952 July 23, 1971
(Ascended) 		19 years, 203 days True Whig Party 1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
Vacancy by ascension July 23, 1971 April 1972 1971 Tolbert [note 8]
24   James Edward Greene
(1914–1977) 		April 1972 July 22, 1977[†] 5 years, 112 days True Whig Party
1975
Vacancy by death July 22, 1977 October 31, 1977
25   Bennie Dee Warner
(1935–2024) 		October 31, 1977 April 12, 1980
(Deposed) 		2 years, 164 days True Whig Party [note 9]
Vacancy due to People's Redemption Council April 12, 1980 January 6, 1986 [note 10]
26   Harry Moniba
(1937–2004) 		January 6, 1986 September 9, 1990
(Deposed) 		4 years, 246 days National Democratic Party 1985 Doe
Vacancy due to First Liberian Civil War September 9, 1990 August 2, 1997 [note 11]
27   Enoch Dogolea
(1951–2000) 		August 2, 1997 June 24, 2000[†] 2 years, 327 days National Patriotic Party 1997 Taylor
Vacancy by death June 24, 2000 July 24, 2000
28   Moses Blah
(1947–2013) 		July 24, 2000 August 11, 2003 3 years, 18 days National Patriotic Party
Vacancy by ascension August 11, 2003 October 3, 2003 Blah
Vacancy due to Accra Peace Agreement October 3, 2003 January 16, 2006 [note 12]
29   Joseph Boakai
(born 1944) 		January 16, 2006 January 22, 2018 12 years, 6 days Unity Party 2005 Sirleaf
2011
30   Jewel Taylor
(born 1963) 		January 22, 2018 January 22, 2024 6 years National Patriotic Party 2017 Weah
31   Jeremiah Koung
(born 1978) 		January 22, 2024 Incumbent 335 days Unity Party 2023 Boakai

Timeline

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Jeremiah KoungJewel TaylorJoseph BoakaiMoses BlahEnoch DogoleaHarry MonibaBennie Dee WarnerJames Edward GreeneWilliam TolbertClarence Lorenzo SimpsonJames Skivring Smith Jr.Allen YancyHenry Too WesleySamuel Alfred RossSamuel George HarmonJames Jenkins DossenJoseph D. SummervilleJoseph J. RossWilliam D. ColemanJames Thompson (politician)Alfred Francis RussellCharles HarmonAnthony W. GardinerJames Skivring SmithJoseph GibsonJames M. PriestDaniel Bashiel WarnerBeverly Page YatesStephen Allen BensonAnthony D. Williams (politician)Nathaniel Brander

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ President Roye was forcibly removed from office on October 26, 1871. Vice President Smith was sworn in and served the remaining two months of Roye's presidency with no vice president.
  2. ^ On 1 January 1878, six days prior to the inauguration of Anthony Gardiner as president, the House of Representatives impeached and suspended President Payne from office. Vice President Harmon served as acting president for the final six days of the administration.[1]
  3. ^ President Gardiner resigned from office after falling seriously ill. Vice President Russell served as president for the remaining year of Gardiner's term with no vice president.
  4. ^ President Cheeseman died in office. Vice President Coleman served as president for the remainder of Cheeseman's term with no vice president, and then was elected president in his own right in 1897 with Joseph J. Ross as his vice president.
  5. ^ Vice President Ross died in 1900, leaving President Coleman without a vice president. On December 11, 1900, Coleman resigned, and Secretary of State Gibson served as president for the remainder of Coleman's term without a vice president, before being elected in his own right in 1901 with Joseph D. Summerville as his vice president.
  6. ^ Vice President Summerville died in July 27, 1905 following his and President Gibson's reelection but prior to their inauguration. As no mechanism existed for replacing a vice president, which would have left Gibson without a vice president for his entire term, a constitutional amendment was ratified that year allowing for the president to call a special election in the absence of a vice president to fill the vacancy. J. J. Dossen won the special election in 1905 and was inaugurated along with Gibson in 1906.
  7. ^ Both President King and Vice President Yancy resigned on December 3, 1930. Secretary of State Barclay was inaugurated as president, and Vice President James Skivring Smith Jr. was elected in a special election soon after.
  8. ^ President Tubman died following his and Tolbert's reelection in 1971, but prior to his inauguration. Tolbert served the remainder of Tubman's sixth term before being inaugurated for Tubman's elected seventh term.
  9. ^ Warner was ousted along with the rest of the government by the Armed Forces of Liberia.
  10. ^ During 1980–1981 Thomas Weh Syen was Doe's second-in-command in the military administration. Weh Syen was in charge on vice-presidential duties.[2] After Weh Syen was executed on Doe's orders, he was replaced as Vice Head of State by Nicholas Podier.[3]
  11. ^ Roland Diggs served as Vice President in the administration of Amos Sawyer from August 1990 to April 1991.[4] He was succeeded in April 1991 by Peter Naigow,[citation needed] who also resigned. There were many Deputy Chairmen of the Council of State of Liberia during 1994–1997, including Dexter Bah Tahyor, Isaac Musa, Charles Taylor, G. V. Kromah, George Boley, Oscar Jaryee Quiah and Tamba Tailor.[5]
  12. ^ During this time, the National Transitional Government of Liberia was in charge of government duties. Vice-Chairman Wesley Momo Johnson assumed the duties and powers of the office of vice-president during part of this period.

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vice Presidents of Liberia.
  1. ^ Sims, James L.; Seymour, George L.; Benjamin J. K. Anderson; James Fairhead (2003). African-American Exploration in West Africa: Four Nineteenth-Century Diaries. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 72. ISBN 0-253-34194-9.
  2. ^ "Liberian Dialogue article - V.P. Moses Blah's "Death News" Stirs Unwelcome Memories by Tewroh Sungbeh". Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2009.
  3. ^ "Weh-Syen Weeps?" The Monrovia Express 1981-08-12: 1/8.
  4. ^ Jalloh, Tanu (August 1, 2008). "Liberia: Prof Amos Sawyer's Life As a Liberian". AllAfrica.
  5. ^ "Notable Women of Liberia @ Liberian Online - Liberia Portal". Archived from the original on March 29, 2006. Retrieved August 23, 2009.
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