OFFICES OF THE VICE PRESIDENT, REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA LOCATED IN FARAWAY CAPITOL BUILDING HOME OF THE NATIONAL LEGISLATURE:SOME THOUGHTS

The Vice President of Liberia, under the Constitution, is Deputy or Assistant President of the Nation. As such, he/she becomes President in the event of death, disability or any other inability of the President to serve in performing his/her functions.

The Vice President is bound, by law, to assist the President in the planning, coordination and cooperation in carrying out the duties of their common responsibilities – local, national and international – to the best of their abilities. Thus, the offices of the Vice President should and must be located closed to the President at the Executive Mansion national offices of the Chief Executive of the Nation, to facilitate a close, cooperative and cohesive work relationship and to achieve the best interest of the nation and people.

For 170 Years
But, throughout the nation’s history of more than a century and half to this day, the Vice President has been, and is, banished to faraway Capitol Building, home offices of the National Legislature as “President of the Senate” where he/she has no meaningful function befitting the position of Deputy President of the nation, but to cast a tie-vote, although the Senate has a presiding officer, the President Protempore. This approach is not only demeaning, but also, that it is wasteful of useful talent, commitment, loyalty and patriotism.

Why was the Vice President or Vice Presidency of the nation so banished? For whatever reason, the banishment has outlived its usefulness for today’s liberal, progressive world of pro-democracy.

Therefore, the offices of the Vice President, or Deputy President, must be located at the Executive Mansion Offices of the Chief Executive to facilitate close, cordial, understanding, coordinative, cooperative, cohesive and mutually-respectful work relationship between President and Vice President, in the supreme interest of the Nation and People.