Chapter IV: The Executive
Article 50
The Executive Power of the Republic shall be vested in the President who shall be Head of State, Head of Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. The president shall be elected by universal adult suffrage of registered voters in the Republic and shall hold office for a term of six years commencing at noon on the third working Monday in January of the year immediately following the elections. No person shall serve as President for more than two terms.
In other words, the role of the Executive branch of government is to carry out the law that the Legislative Branch writes. The Constitution says that the President—as the head of this branch—is the head of state and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. It also says that the President can appoint, or dismiss, high-level government officials, such as cabinet ministers, to help implement government policies. The Liberian Constitution is clear in saying that the President, however, cannot arbitrarily execute the laws that the legislative branch writes. The president has to follow the Constitution and all the laws of the country.
There shall be a Vice-President who shall assist the President in the discharge of his functions. The Vice-President shall be elected on the same political ticket and shall serve the same term as the President. The Vice-President shall be President of the Senate and preside over its deliberations without the right to vote, except in the case of a tie vote. He shall attend meetings of the cabinet and other governmental meetings and shall perform such functions as the President shall delegate or deem appropriate; provided that no powers specifically vested in the President by the provisions of this Constitution shall be delegated to the Vice-President.
Article 54 of the Liberian Constitution says , among other things, that the President shall nominate and, with the consent of the Senate, appoint and commission–
a. cabinet ministers, deputy and assistant cabinet ministers;
b. ambassadors, ministers, consuls; and
c. the Chief Justice and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and judges of subordinate courts;
d. superintendents, other county officials and officials of other political subdivisions;
e. members of the military from the rank of lieutenant of its equivalent and above; and
f. marshalls, deputy marshals, and sheriffs.
