Liberia needs a new constitution and a decentralized, federalized government after its recent instability, a group of African experts, headlined by Balfour President-in-Residence Ruth Sando Perry, said Tuesday.

The appearance was Perry’s second since the African Presidential Archives and Research Center named her as the program’s second president-in-residence in January. She is a former interim president of Liberia.

With a change in government on the horizon with elections planned for 2005, the panel discussed and proposed changes for the tumultuous nation’s success.

Perry called for the Liberian people to take a cue from the United States in their creation of a new government.

“Liberians must begin to live by the American pledge of allegiance – ‘One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,'” Perry said.

African Studies Center Associate Director James Pritchett said the discussion was arranged to make the most of Perry’s presence on campus at the same time as the country goes through changes.

“The purpose of this discussion series is to try at this moment in Liberian history to utilize a unique juncture of talent and opportunity with former president Perry here on campus,” Pritchett said.

More than 11,000 Liberians live in Massachusetts, and the audience was dominated by Liberian-Americans from BU and the surrounding area. Still, there was a smattering of BU students and faculty interested in both the discussion and the opportunity to meet the former president of Liberia.

CAS senior Keith McIntosh, who said he is planning to attend every one of the panels, said, “This is what college is all about. I mean where else do you get the opportunity to meet former presidents?”

Other panelists included Ted Hayden, a former missionary with 50 years of experience in Liberia, and Patrick Seyon, a research fellow at Boston University and the former president of the University of Liberia.