Archive status: Context record — the elected order created in 1997 broke down during renewed conflict, and the 2003 presidential and legislative elections did not proceed.
From the 1997 election to renewed conflict
Liberia returned to elected government after the 19 July 1997 presidential and legislative elections. Renewed armed conflict later undermined constitutional government and displaced large numbers of Liberians. President Charles Taylor resigned on 11 August 2003 as regional and international negotiations sought to end the conflict.
The 2003 Comprehensive Peace Agreement
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in Accra, Ghana, on 18 August 2003 by the Government of Liberia, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia, and political parties. It established exceptional transitional arrangements and called for an elected president to be inaugurated in January 2006.
Transitional government and legislature
The National Transitional Government of Liberia, led by Chairman Gyude Bryant, took office on 14 October 2003. A unicameral National Transitional Legislative Assembly replaced the previous bicameral legislature, with appointed members serving during the transition. The agreement postponed the elections originally expected in 2003 until no later than October 2005.
Preparing the 2005 return to elections
United Nations Security Council resolution 1509 established the United Nations Mission in Liberia and directed it to support implementation of the peace agreement, including preparations for national elections. Presidential and legislative elections were held on 11 October 2005, followed by the presidential runoff on 8 November.
Related archive records
Sources
- United Nations Peacemaker — 2003 Comprehensive Peace Agreement
- United Nations Security Council — establishment of UNMIL
- United Nations — inauguration of the transitional government
- Inter-Parliamentary Union — Liberia elections in 2005
Editorial note: This page documents the interruption and peace-governance bridge between two election records. It does not classify the appointed transitional institutions as elected bodies.