Report Identifies Critical Challenges Needing Urgent Attention, Rep. Bernard Benson Welcomes Report & Promises To Forward To The House
PHOTO: (L-R) Montserrado County District #17 Rep. Bernard Benson and CEMESP Executive Director Malcolm W. Joseph
Monrovia, Liberia – July 30, 2026–The Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP) on July 30, 2026 convened a one-day Media-CSO Legislative Roundtable at the D’ Calabash Conference Room in Monrovia, during which the Legislative Monitoring Coalition of Liberia (LEMCOL) released its Second Quarter 2026 Legislative Monitoring Report covering the performance of the 55th Liberian Legislature from April to June 2026.
The report was presented by CEMESP Executive Director Malcolm Joseph on behalf of LEMCOL and provides an independent assessment of the Legislature’s performance in the areas of transparency, accountability, inclusion, and citizen participation.
Presenting the report, Mr. Joseph highlighted several positive developments, including the Legislature’s consistent adherence to published agendas, openness of plenary sessions to civil society and the media, and sustained oversight of the Executive on key national issues such as the FY2026 Supplementary Budget, Ebola preparedness, education, health service delivery, and the authorization for the printing of additional Liberian-dollar banknotes. He noted that these findings demonstrate encouraging institutional discipline while emphasizing the need for continued reforms.
The report also identified critical challenges requiring urgent attention. These include recurring quorum failures in the House of Representatives, persistent delays in Senate sittings, inadequate publication of legislative documents on the Legislature’s official website, weak mechanisms for citizen and expert participation in lawmaking, and continuing gaps in the inclusion of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and rural communities in legislative processes.
Among its recommendations, LEMCOL called on the Legislature to establish a comprehensive digital repository for legislative documents, strictly enforce quorum requirements, improve compliance with session start times, institutionalize public consultation on major legislation, strengthen committee transparency, and enhance women’s leadership and participation in legislative decision-making.
Providing a special statement during the Roundtable, Representative Bernard Benson of Montserrado County Electoral District #7 welcomed the report and commended CEMESP and LEMCOL for producing an evidence-based assessment of the Legislature’s work. Representative Benson described the report as a valuable contribution to strengthening legislative accountability and democratic governance in Liberia.
Representative Benson further pledged to formally forward the report to the House of Representatives for consideration and encouraged members of the Legislature to carefully review its findings and recommendations. He also requested that LEMCOL work more closely with the House Committee on Information and Broadcasting in future legislative monitoring and engagement initiatives to promote greater collaboration between civil society and the Legislature.
Speaking on behalf of the Coalition, Mr. Joseph reaffirmed LEMCOL’s commitment to constructive, evidence-based engagement with the Legislature, development partners, the media, and citizens. He emphasized that the Coalition’s recommendations are intended to support ongoing reforms that will strengthen transparency, accountability, inclusiveness, and public confidence in Liberia’s democratic institutions.
The Legislative Monitoring Coalition of Liberia (LEMCOL) is a civil society and media initiative comprising three thematic clusters focused on Transparency & Accountability, Inclusion, and Participation. The Participation Cluster is led by the Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP). The Coalition is supported by the European Union and the Embassies of Ireland and Sweden through the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) under the Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP+), managed by UNDP.
For Media Inquiries:
Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP)
Monrovia, Liberia