Published: August 29, 2025
MONROVIA — Liberia’s newest political movement, the Proposed People’s Action Party (PAP), has appointed international development expert Ahmed K. Sirleaf as its acting chairman as the group positions itself for official certification with the National Elections Commission.
The appointment marks a strategic step for PAP, which is pitching itself as a reform-driven, youth-centered, broad-based movement. Sirleaf, who recently traveled to the United States for consultations with institutions in Washington, D.C., and Minnesota, is expected back in Liberia in early September to spearhead mobilization efforts.
“Liberia is at a critical juncture,” a PAP official said. “With youth unemployment, economic hardship, and social inequality deepening, we need a leader with the expertise, networks, and vision to navigate complex challenges. Ahmed brings all of that to PAP.”
Academic and Professional Record
Sirleaf’s academic and professional career stand out among Liberia’s emerging political leaders.
He is a doctoral candidate in comparative and international development education at the University of Minnesota and holds master’s degrees from both the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and the United Nations-mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica.
His expertise spans human rights, transitional justice, donor coordination, post-conflict recovery, and governance reform — all areas critical to Liberia’s democratic transition.
Leadership on the Global and National Stage
Sirleaf is widely recognized for more than a decade of service in governance and development.
At USAID in Liberia, he advised on donor coordination and governance reforms, managed the $21 million Liberia Strategic Analysis project, and helped design systems to improve oversight of USAID’s $840 million portfolio in the country. He also worked in Minnesota, leading reforms in homelessness response systems and managing emergency funding during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In June 2024, he was one of only three experts — and the only Liberian — invited to train commissioners and senior staff of the Liberia Revenue Authority in partnership with the Swedish Tax Agency.
Mentor, Educator, and Institution Builder
Beyond government and international work, Sirleaf has built a legacy as a mentor and educator. For six years, he lectured at the University of Liberia’s Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation and later trained foreign service officers at the Liberia Foreign Service Institute.
In 2009, he helped secure nearly half a million dollars’ worth of legal texts for Liberia’s Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law through a partnership with Books for Africa and Thomson Reuters.
Many of his former students now hold senior positions in public service, including the minister of youth and sports, the director general of the Civil Service Agency, an associate justice of the Supreme Court, and senior officials at the Liberia Revenue Authority, law enforcement, and World Bank projects.
Awards and Recognition
Sirleaf’s contributions have earned him multiple awards, including U.S. Mission to Liberia Certificates of Appreciation (2016 and 2017), the Hamline University Outstanding Achievement Award (2015), and the Art Naftalin Public Service Award (2012). He also received the UST Human Rights Award in 2008 for his global advocacy work.
PAP’s Vision and Road Ahead
Under the political guidance of Montserrado County Sen. Saah H. Joseph, PAP models itself after Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party, focusing less on electoral ambitions and more on governance reform and people-centered development.
“The People’s Action Party will be the party for all,” Joseph said at a recent community gathering. “We are not yet focused on elections but on improving the lives of the people.”
With Sirleaf now serving as acting chairman, PAP hopes to boost its credibility and organizational strength at home and abroad. Party officials say he will soon return to Liberia to lead consultations, mobilize grassroots support, and shape PAP’s reform agenda.
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