The Liberian Action Party was a political party in Liberia .
22-483: In the country's 1985 elections , LAP candidate Jackson Doe was the leading challenger to incumbent Head of State Samuel Doe . Official results showed that Samuel received a narrow majority of votes cast in the election, although outside observers alleged widespread fraud; according to organizations such as the BBC , Jackson had won an absolute majority of votes cast nationwide. In the 19 July 1997 legislative elections ,
44-429: A fair trial to the family of Tolbert. During 1984, a new draft constitutional was approved in a referendum , which provided for a 58-member civilian and military Interim National Assembly, headed by Samuel Doe as president. The bicameral Legislature consisted of a 26-member Senate and a 64-member House of Representatives . Each of the 13 counties elected two senators and at least two Representatives. Senators served
66-704: A new draft constitutional was approved in a referendum, which provided for a 58-member civilian and military Interim National Assembly, headed by Samuel Doe as president. After a ban on political parties was lifted, four parties – Doe's National Democratic Party (NDP), the Liberian Action Party , the Unity Party and the Liberia Unification Party – contested the elections. Polling was marred by allegations of widespread fraud and rigging. Official results showed that Samuel Doe won
88-461: A nine year term and were elected by first-past-the-post voting . Representatives were elected from single-member districts, also by first-past-the-post voting. The voting age was 18. Persons of foreign origin, declared insane or and convicted of crimes were not eligible. Candidates for the House of Representatives were required to have been resident in the country for one year before the elections, be
110-519: A political party in Liberia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Liberian general election, 1985 Samuel Doe NDPL Samuel Doe NDPL Leader of Liberia (1980–1990) Government General elections were held in Liberia on 15 October 1985. They were the first elections since the 12 April 1980 military coup that brought Samuel Doe to power. During 1984,
132-439: A taxpayer and be at least 25 years old. Senate candidates had to be at least 30. After the ban on political parties was lifted, four parties, namely, Doe's National Democratic Party of Liberia , the Liberian Action Party , the Unity Party and the Liberia Unification Party contested the elections. Polling was largely peaceful, but marred by allegations of widespread fraud and rigging. Many independent observers believed that
154-462: Is the head of the Senate and he also acts as president in his absence. To be eligible as a voter, one had to possess 18 years of age, registered on electoral rolls and own a real estate valued at least L$ 2,000. Persons who are of foreign origin, insane and convicted in crime were not eligible. The eligibility criteria to be candidate of a political party in the House of Representatives was residence in
176-601: The Liberian Action Party 's Jackson Doe , who officially finished second, was the actual winner. It was later revealed that Samuel Doe had the ballots counted in a secret location by his handpicked staff. Though there was no official mission from the United States to validate the fair conduct of the elections, the American Assistant Secretary of State Chester A. Crocker acknowledged that there were widespread irregularities, but pointed out that
198-544: The True Whig Party (who had taken office after the death of William Tubman in 1971) was the only candidate, and was re-elected unopposed. In the legislative elections True Whig Party candidates won all 74 seats in the House of Representatives unopposed. Voter turnout was around 80%. The elections were the first after the eligible age of voters in elections was reduced to 18. It was a combined elections for choosing
220-567: The 11 October 2005 elections as part of the four-party Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia (COTOL). Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was formerly a prominent party member and Jackson Doe's running mate in 1985, but defected to the Unity Party in the run-up to the 1997 elections. On 1 April 2009, the Liberian Action Party and the Liberia Unification Party merged into the ruling Unity Party. This article about
242-525: The President, Representatives of the House and the Senate. Independent observers claim that the elections in 1975 along with that of the earlier elections were rigged by the ruling True Whig Party . The Legislature of Liberia was modeled on the Legislature of United States. It is bicameral in nature with a Senate and the House of Representatives . There are 15 counties in the country and based on
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#1732783248916264-405: The country for two years continuously before the elections, ownership of real estate and should be 23 years of age. The eligibility criteria to be candidate of a political party in the Senate was residence in the country for three years continuously before the elections, ownership of real estate and should be 25 years of age. Independent observers claim that the elections in 1975 along with that of
286-496: The earlier elections were rigged by the ruling True Whig Party . All the candidates of the Party during the elections were unopposed. In spite of no opposition, the number of eligible voters were enhanced by around 200,000, making the number of voters more than the number of eligible voters. There were no voter registries maintained during the elections and people were allowed to vote many number of times. A view has also been placed that
308-563: The elections saw increased human rights abuses, corruption , and ethnic tensions, ultimately leading to the start of the First Liberian Civil War in 1989 and Doe's overthrow and murder in 1990. The True Whig Party , founded in 1869, was one of the oldest political parties in the world and the oldest in Africa. In power from 1877, the party was mostly composed of Americo-Liberians, who constituted less than one per cent of
330-406: The electorate lost confidence in the election system thereby leading to frequent political crisis in the country. Incumbent President Tolbert from True Whig Party campaigned that if they were re-elected to power, the government would work towards rural empowerment and the infrastructure development. Tolbert was re-elected as the president of the country along with all the candidates of his party for
352-487: The narrow margin of victory showed good amount of fair polling and the extended hours of voting proved effective in increasing the voter turnaround. He also pointed out that radio stations and newspapers provided fair coverage to all the four parties that competed. Samuel Doe was sworn-in as the President on 6 January and a civilian cabinet on 15 January. The period after the elections saw increased human rights abuses, corruption , and ethnic tensions, ultimately leading to
374-517: The party was part of the Alliance of Political Parties , which won 2 out of 64 seats in the House of Representatives . While international observers deemed the polls administratively free and transparent, they noted that it had taken place in an atmosphere of intimidation because most voters believed that former rebel leader and National Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate Charles Taylor would return to war if defeated. The party fielded candidates in
396-404: The population in the census of 1962. President William Tubman ruled from 1947 until his death in 1971 and William Tolbert continued afterwards, winning the 1975 elections . However, in 1980 he was overthrown in a coup; Master Sergeant led a group of conspirators and removed Tolbert from office on 12 April 1980. According to his account, the group wanted to arrest Tolbert and when he resisted, he
418-549: The population, each county is defined to have at least two members, while the total number of members to the house including the Speaker being 74. Each member represents an electoral district and elected to a four-year term (six years after 2011 elections) based on popular vote. There were 18 senators, two each for the nine counties and they serve a six-year term (30 senators, 15 counties and nine years from 2011). Senators are also elected based on plurality of votes. The vice-president
440-471: The presidential election with 50.9% of the vote, just enough to avoid a runoff. His NDP won large majorities in both houses of the Legislature . Many independent observers believed that the Liberian Action Party 's Jackson Doe , who officially finished second, was the actual winner. It was later revealed that Samuel Doe had the ballots counted in a secret location by his handpicked staff. The period after
462-418: The start of the First Liberian Civil War in 1989 and Doe's overthrow and murder in 1990. 1975 Liberian general election William Tolbert TWP William Tolbert TWP President of Liberia Government General elections were held in Liberia on 7 October 1975, alongside a simultaneous referendum on presidential term limits. In the presidential election, incumbent William Tolbert of
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#1732783248916484-655: Was shot dead. A counter-insurgency operation on 16 April was put down and Samuel Doe gained full control of the government. Doe's military People Redemption Council (PRC) invoked martial law and took control of all legislative and executive powers. This led to numerous executions, rampant corruption, increasing rates of unemployment and decreasing health conditions. At the UN General council, the new government announced that elections would be possibly held by 1983. Samuel Doe also built his image internationally by having border issues fixed with neighbouring countries and also promised
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