Liberia: Rep. Morris Detests Non-Negro Citizenship

By Leroy M. Sonpon, III

Members of the House of Representatives of the 54^th Legislature are giving contrary opinions since the submission of laws amending certain provisions of the Liberian Constitution, including the granting of Liberian citizenship to people of non-Negro descent, who will also be allowed to own land in Liberia.

The bills were submitted to the Lower House on February 6 of this year, following calls by President George Weah to revisit laws on citizenship and property ownership as contained in his first Annual Address on January 29.

Henceforth, Montserrado County District 1 Representative Lawrence Morris has vowed not to support the citizenship of non-Negro descent (White men), but to rather maintain the dual citizenship of Liberians or Negro as spelt out in Article 27 of the 1986 Constitution, which says: “All persons who, on the coming into force of this Constitution were lawfully citizens of Liberia shall continue to be Liberian citizens. In order to preserve, foster and maintain the positive Liberian culture, values and character, only persons who are Negroes or of Negro descent shall qualify by birth or by naturalization to be citizens of Liberia.”

Rep. Morris registered his protest against granting citizenship to people of non-Negro descent when he spoke in an interview with journalists yesterday in his Capitol Building office in Monrovia.

Read further: https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/rep-morris-detests-non-negro-citizenship/