By Arthur M. Wilfred
In Liberia and in most countries, the Vice Presidency is not a platform for change—it is where change goes to stall.
Our Constitution is clear: executive power belongs to the President. Everything else is proximity, not authority. Every major national decision begins and ends with the President.
For two decades, we have watched capable, experienced—even ambitious—Vice Presidents enter office with promise and leave with little to show in terms of structural change.
Current President Joseph N. Boakai once compared himself to a “parked car,” a striking admission that underscores the limits of the office he then held. It also reflects the many missed opportunities of that era.
Jewel Howard-Taylor, a formidable political force, found herself publicly marginalized and frequently at odds with the Executive Mansion. Her inability to influence the direction of the country proved that even a strong personality cannot overcome a weak constitutional office.
Vice Presidents often do not show ambition—not because they lack ideas, but because they lack power. The institution itself leaves them no space beyond what the President chooses to grant.
A Vice President cannot appoint the team.
Cannot enforce policy.
Cannot override bad decisions.
At best, they advise. At worst, they are ignored.
And when things go wrong—as they often do—they share the blame without ever having held the reins.
This is the paradox of Liberian governance:
We demand accountability from an office that has no control.
So, let’s be honest—with ourselves and with the next generation of leaders:
If you truly want to fight corruption, fix broken institutions, and deliver for the Liberian people, you cannot do it from the sidelines of executive power.
You cannot reform a system you do not control.
The Presidency is not just a higher office.
It is the only office where change can actually be executed.
Anything less is politics without power—and ambition without impact.
Today, Liberia has more than 40 political parties. Many are positioning themselves not to lead, but to negotiate for second place.
But leadership is not about securing the second chair.
If your political ambition does not reach the Presidency, then you are not preparing to lead—you are preparing to follow.
