Senate of Liberia
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The Senate is the upper chamber of the bicameral Liberian Legislature. Legislative elections took place on 11 October 2005, and the elected members took office in January 2006. In the Senate, each of the 15 counties are equally represented by two members.
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[edit] Candidate eligibility
Citizens of Liberia who have attained the age of 30 years are eligible to contest Senate elections and become members of the Legislature.
[edit] Electoral system
The simple majority (or First Past the Post) voting system is used in electing members to both chambers of the Liberian Legislature. In Senate elections, the two candidates who obtain the highest number of votes in their respective county are elected.
The 15 candidates who finished first (known as 'Senior Senators') will serve a nine-year term, while the remaining 15 candidates who finished second (known as 'Junior Senators') will serve a six-year term.
[edit] 2005 election results
| Parties and coalitions | House votes | % in House | House seats | Senate votes | % in Senate | Senate seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congress for Democratic Change | 23.44% | 15 | 10% | 3 | ||
| Liberty Party | 14.06% | 9 | 10% | 3 | ||
| Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia | 12.5% | 8 | 23.34% | 7 | ||
| Unity Party | 12.5% | 8 | 10% | 3 | ||
| Alliance for Peace and Democracy | 7.81% | 5 | 10% | 3 | ||
| National Patriotic Party | 6.25% | 4 | 13.34% | 4 | ||
| New Deal Movement | 4.69% | 3 | 0% | - | ||
| All Liberia Coalition Party | 3.13% | 2 | 3.34% | 1 | ||
| National Democratic Party of Liberia | 1.56% | 1 | 6.67% | 2 | ||
| National Reformation Party | 1.56% | 1 | 3.34% | 1 | ||
| United Democratic Alliance | 1.56% | 1 | 0% | - | ||
| Independents | 10.94% | 7 | 10% | 3 | ||
| Total | 64 | 30 |
- More info: Liberia elections, 2005
While the Vice-President is the President of the Senate, the President Pro Tempore leads the day-to-day business of the Senate. On 13 January 2006, 29 out of 30 Senators met to elect the President Pro Tempore. The result is as follows:
| President Pro Tempore of the Senate | ||
| Results | Political Affiliation | Number of Votes |
| Isaac Nyenabo | National Democratic Party of Liberia | 15 |
| Cletus Wotorson | Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia | 14 |
| Total | 29 | |
[edit] See also
- Liberia
- House of Representatives of Liberia
- Legislature of Liberia
- National Transitional Legislative Assembly of Liberia - the country's unicameral legislative body during the transition period (October 2003-January 2006)
- Legislative Branch
- List of national legislatures
