By: Keith Morrison | Contributing Writer
Ganta, Nimba County |March 29, 2026| The Executive Director of the National Elections Commission of Liberia (NECㅡLiberia), Anthony K. Sengbe, has underscored the importance of decentralizing Liberia’s electoral processes, noting that such administrative reform will significantly enhance inclusive participation, promote transparency and accountability, and reduce the overall cost of elections.
Mr. Sengbe emphasized that decentralization would bring electoral services closer to citizens, particularly marginalized and underserved populations, including women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
The NEC Executive Director’s recommendation was contained in a statement he delivered on Friday, 27 March 2026 at the close of a three-day BRIDGE Workshop on gender equality, social inclusion, and the rights of persons with disabilities.
According to him, a decentralized electoral process is critical to strengthening Liberia’s democracy, and would ensure that no citizen is left behind while making the electoral processes more efficient, cost-effective, and transparent.
Mr. Sengbe further highlighted that shifting some key election-related duties from the central NEC headquarters (in Monrovia) to local magisterial offices would minimize logistical burdens, reduce operational costs, and improve timely service delivery.
Importantly, the NEC Executive Director stressed that decentralization presents a unique opportunity to advance the inclusion of persons with disabilities across all aspects of the electoral processㅡemphasizing that inclusive electoral management should extend beyond voter participation to encompass voter education, candidate engagement, election administration, and decision-making structures.
‘Persons with disabilities should be fully integrated into our electoral processes—not only as voters, but also as candidates, electoral staff, observers, and key stakeholders in decision-making,’ Mr. Sengbe added.
Decentralization, as he puts it, would enable stronger engagement with local communities, allowing for tailored solutions to address specific barriers faced by persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Mr. Sengbe reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to its core values including integrity, transparency, accountability and inclusivity, which guide all aspects of its work.
He also highlighted that the NEC Strategic Plan (2026–2030) identifies decentralization as a key priority for strengthening democratic governance, improving service delivery, and fostering greater public trust in the electoral process.
As part of an ongoing series, the workshop is organized by the National Elections Commission of Liberia in collaboration with UN Women, with support from the Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP) and its development partners.
It aims to strengthen the capacity of electoral staff to design and implement electoral processes that are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of all citizens—particularly women and persons with disabilities.
The NEC continues to collaborate with national and international partners to advance electoral reforms that make the country’s democratic processes more transparent, inclusive, and sustainable.
During the Regional Media–Security Dialogue held from December 2025 to January 2026, the NEC Executive Director also recommended decentralizing the accreditation of journalists, with the active involvement of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL).
