Liberia: Official Gazette on the National Referendum – 2020

Published: 8/Oct/2019

Liberia Government Gazette VOL. XIX  TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019, NO. 52

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA ANNOUNCES:

That PURSUANT to Joint Resolution Leg-002/2019 adopted September 30, 2019 by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 54th Legislature of the Republic of Liberia, proposing a Constitutional Referendum to Amend Articles 28, 45, 47, 48, 49, 50, & 83 (a) and (c) of the 1986 Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, which was approved by the President of Liberia on October 4, 2019, and further published  and printed into handbills on October 4, 2019;

[…]

BALLOT MEASURES

PROPOSITION 1: To amend Article 28 of the Constitution to provide for the inalienability of the citizenship of natural born citizens of Liberia (Dual Citizenship) (proposed to be placed on the ballot paper by the Legislature)

Summary
To amend Article 28 so that any person, one of whose parent is a citizen of Liberia at the time of the person birth, shall be a citizen of Liberia without having to decide at age 18; and also to provide for dual citizenship.

Analysis – To afford the Liberian voters the opportunity to decide whether any person can be a natural born citizen of Liberia when either one of his or her parent is a Liberian citizen; and whether a Liberian can hold different citizenship.

As a consequence of the civil war, hundreds of Liberian fled Liberia as refugees, assumed residency in other countries and obtained citizenship of other countries. Many obtained citizenship because that was the only way for them to get certain jobs or to enjoy certain  opportunities, such as education. Most of these Liberians also had children and continue to have children, who are automatically citizens of the countries of their birth.

Whatever the circumstance of these Liberians may be, one thing that is certain is that their  loyalty to their motherland remains unquestionable; they continue to provide support to relatives and friends and to remain connected to their motherland through financial remittances. They continue to cling to the belief that they will be able to enjoy all the rights and privileges of Liberian citizenship, such as inheriting real property from their parents and being able to return to their motherland and be accepted and regarded as natural born  citizens, not as foreigners. This amendment of the Constitution will enthuse all natural born Liberians to invest in Liberia and will give them hope of a permanent home in their motherland. To ensure that the loyalty of these Liberians will not be questioned, they are prohibited from holding certain positions in the Government of Liberia.

Text of the Proposed Amendment

Article 28 which currently reads,

Any person, at least one of whose parents was a citizen of Liberia at the time of the person’s birth, shall be a citizen of Liberia; provided that any such person shall upon reaching maturity renounce any other citizenship acquired by virtue of one parent being a citizen of another country. No citizen of the Republic shall be deprived of citizenship or nationality except as provided by law; and no person shall be denied the right to change citizenship or nationality.”

Will be amended to read:

Any person, at least one of whose parents was a citizen of Liberia at the time of the person’s birth, shall be a natural born citizen of Liberia; a natural born citizen’s right to citizenship of Liberia is inherent and inalienable; no law shall be enacted or regulation promulgated which deprived a natural born citizen of the Republic of his/her citizenship right; and any law or regulation which alienates or deprived a natural born citizen of his/her Liberian citizenship right is null and void ab initio.

A natural born citizen of Liberia may hold another/additional citizenship but shall not qualify for elected national or public service positions and the following appointive positions:
1. Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia;
2. Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers;
3. All Heads of Autonomous Commissions, Agencies and Non-academic/Research/Scientific Institutions;
4. Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries; and
5. Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia

A Liberian with dual citizenship shall have certain rights, including the right to hold elected national or public service positions and all appointive positions if he relinquishes the other citizenship.

The Legislature shall enact laws on the process by which natural born citizens of Liberia who have obtained additional citizenship, will maintain all of the rights pertaining to their Liberian citizenship.”

What Your Vote Means

YES
A YES Vote on this Measure means: You have agreed that a person, at least one of whose parents was a citizen at the time of the person’s birth, shall be a natural born citizen of Liberia.  Such person does not have to reach the age of maturity to decide his/her citizenship. Also, you have agreed that a natural born citizen of Liberia may hold another citizenship, but shall not qualify for elected national or public service positions and the above listed appointive positions.

NO
A NO Vote on this Measure means: The Constitutional provision shall not change but will remain in its current form.

Download Government Gazette: https://www.emansion.gov.lr/doc/Official_National_Referendum_2020_20191015_1.pdf

Themes: Dual Nationality
Regions: Liberia
Year: 2019