Monrovia – The Free Liberia Movement Inc., in collaboration with the Universal Human Rights International (UHRI) and Ziah Mission Church in Boston, Massachusetts, has issued a strong Independence Day call urging Liberians to take a more active role in reshaping the country’s democratic future through a citizen-led constitutional reform process.
In a statement released by Rev. Torli H. Krua, founder of UHRI and the Free Liberia Movement, the organization announced plans to convene the First Sovereign Citizens’ Convention on December 26, 2026, in Ganta, Nimba County, where participants are expected to begin drafting what organizers describe as a “truly citizens-led, post-colonial constitution.”
The statement draws inspiration from Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman, the formerly enslaved Black woman whose landmark 1781 court victory in Massachusetts helped pave the way for the abolition of slavery in the state. Krua said Freeman’s story demonstrates that ordinary citizens—not political leaders—have the power to bring about transformative change.
“Democracy is not what politicians promise; it is what ordinary citizens do when they peacefully insist that the law applies equally to everyone,” the statement said.
The movement argues that Liberia’s 1986 Constitution, particularly Article 1, places ultimate political authority in the hands of the people. The provision states that “all power is inherent in the people” and gives citizens the right to alter and reform government whenever their “safety and happiness so require.”
Using that constitutional principle as its foundation, the Free Liberia Movement questioned whether Liberia’s current governance structure adequately reflects the will and interests of ordinary citizens.
The statement raised concerns over lawmakers determining their own salaries and benefits in one of the world’s poorest countries, while comparing legislative compensation in the U.S. states of Texas and New Hampshire. It argued that despite their significantly larger economies, lawmakers in those states receive comparatively modest base salaries.
The movement also questioned electoral rules that it says limit opportunities for ordinary Liberians to seek public office and expressed concern over senior government officials holding U.S. citizenship or permanent residency while serving in key public positions in Liberia.
According to the statement, the planned convention will provide a platform for citizens to consider proposals aimed at reducing the cost of governance, establishing what organizers describe as reasonable salaries and benefits for public officials, expanding access to public office, strengthening citizen participation in governance, and promoting liberty, equality, justice and peaceful coexistence.
Organizers also said delegates will examine proposals seeking to restore U.S. citizenship rights to individuals born in Liberia, citing what they describe as the country’s unique historical and legal relationship with the United States.
Rev. Krua urged Liberians at home and abroad to emulate Elizabeth Freeman’s example by exercising what he described as their constitutional authority to peacefully pursue reforms rather than waiting for political leaders to act.
“For too long, Liberians have been taught that democracy is something educated politicians with international contacts practice every election cycle,” the statement said. “Elizabeth Freeman proved otherwise. Democracy is what ordinary people do when they refuse to surrender their God-given dignity and the constitutional power that already belongs to them.”
The proposed convention is expected to bring together Liberians from across the country and the diaspora to deliberate on constitutional and governance reforms through what organizers describe as a peaceful, citizen-driven process.
