People's Redemption Council
The People's Redemption Council (PRC) was a governmental body that ruled Liberia during the early 1980s. It was established after the 1980 Liberian coup d'état wherein Samuel Doe seized power on 12 April 1980. The Council, with Doe as its chairman, promised a complete overhaul of Liberia's society, economy, and political system and the replacement of the corruption of previous regimes with respect for the rights of the Liberian people. The PRC had 17 founding members and was later expanded to 28. The PRC initially functioned as the executive and legislative body in Doe's government. However, over time Doe consolidated power as a central executive. In 1984, the PRC was dissolved and replaced by the Interim National Assembly. History Context Since 1847, Liberia operated as an independent state with a constitutional system modeled on that of the United States. For a long portion of its history, its government was dominated by Americo-Liberians, a group of freed slaves and their descendants from the United States that first arrived in Liberia in 1822 in a colony founded by the American Colonization Society. After the death of the long-serving president, William Tubman, in 1971, William Tolbert, Jr., became president. Tolbert's administration, like his predecessor's, was characterized by political suppression and a government dominated by the executive. In 1979, civil discord rose to an all-time high due to a 50% increase in rice prices that resulted in the deaths of dozens of Liberians. In addition to an overall lack of development and a stagnant economy, this unrest precipitated the 1980 Liberian coup d'état that would lead to the creation of the PRC. Inception and operation On 12 April 1980, Samuel K. Doe led a group of 17 soldiers in a coup d'état that overthrew and killed then-president William Tolbert. By 16 April 1980, Doe's forces were able to begin consolidating power. The group formed the People's Redemption Council as the supreme legislative and executive power with Doe as its chairman. In the wake of the coup, the PRC emphasized a goal of creating a new system of governance and societal organization rooted in support for the country's commoners. Doe, as a native Liberian, claimed to be seeking equality of rights and of status among all Liberians. Shortly after its formation, the PRC authorized the arrest of over 100 former government officials from the Tolbert administration. Several of them were brutally beaten and executed in the weeks following the coup. In its first fiscal year, the PRC increased military spending by 150%, which critics used to question body's commitment to a transition towards democracy. By early 1981, Liberian debt had nearly reached $800 million. Under the PRC, Liberia's economy remained dependent on income from abroad. In mid-1981, the PRC created the National Constitutional Commission (NCC), the Constitutional Advisory Assembly (CAA), and Special Elections Commission (SEC) to, respectively, write a new constitution, revise the newly drafted constitution, and run democratic elections. Shortly after its founding, Doe and the PRC increased the size of the body. Three