Liberia: Speaker Koffa Reaffirms He Will Not Resign Amid Deputy Speaker Fallah’s Defection and Deliberate March on Capitol

Monrovia — Embattled House Speaker, J Fonati Koffa, has vowed to not resign his place, insisting that if the renegade lawmakers need him out of the place they must receive the required two-thirds majority to oust him.

By Selma Lomax [email protected]

According to Speaker Koffa, if their bloc obtains the 49 votes required to take away him, he’ll step apart, however till then, he stays the Speaker.

“I, J. Fonati Koffa, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God. This is the oath we took on January 15, 2024, and this is the oath for which we live our political career for, and if need be, we are prepared for political death,” Koffa posted to his Facebook deal with on Sunday.

The “majority bloc”, a conglomeration of lawmakers pushing for Koffa’s resignation, has accused the Speaker of funds manipulation, spreading misinformation, and obstructing an audit by the General Auditing Commission (GAC). 

Since then, the political ambiance throughout the House has deteriorated considerably, with Koffa failing to safe the required majority to take care of management. 

Last Thursday, Koffa’s bloc didn’t safe the required attendance wanted for a quorum, which led to the adjournment of the session. Out of the House’s 73 members, solely 28 lawmakers had been current, falling in need of the required 37 lawmakers essential to proceed.

With Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah presiding over the “majority bloc” session”, political observers say it highlights a extreme lack of assist, and highlights the fragmentation throughout the legislative physique.

Protest deliberate for Tuesday

Frustrated with the choice of the renegade lawmakers to desert session, a gaggle calling itself Campaigners for Change, led by activist Vandalark Patricks, is planning a protest Tuesday on the Capitol Building in an try to compel lawmakers to return to session.

And with momentum hovering on social media, many worry it might result in a standoff between supporters of lawmakers of the anti-Koffa bloc and the pro-Koffa bloc.

On his Facebook he wrote: “The “March on the Capitol” to demand these 43 merciless lawmakers which have taken heavy bribes ($US25,000) to suvert or violate our structure is about for November 5, 2024! There’s completely no turning again! We aren’t questioning the REMOVAL of the Speaker. But, we’re requesting the 43 lawmakers to make use of the Constitution of Liberia and the House’s personal Rules to take away the Speaker! Liberians have an interest within the allegations levied in opposition to the Speaker and articulated of their “Resolution”. We are of the strongest conviction that when the Speaker is eliminated in keeping with our structure, and accorded due course of, plenty of issues shall be uncovered. This would result in a severe reform of the National Legislature. This shall be in the very best curiosity of ALL Liberians.”

Patricks mentioned the refusal by lawmakers pushing Koffa’s elimination to stick to constitutional procedures is an assault on the Constitution itself and it’s unacceptable. 

“It is a known fact that the Legislature serves as a battleground for lobbying, where success hinges on legally securing the requisite support through constitutional numbers to achieve one’s goals,” he mentioned.

“In the days and weeks to come, Liberia will be unstable, and donors, and foreign companies wanting to invest in Liberia will be apprehensive to come. They will develop a fear that Liberian officials, especially policymakers, do not subscribe to the rule of law. It’s the story of the red, white, and black cow told by former president Taylor, and it has become the reality today for African leaders.”

Patricks puzzled, “with whom will our president conduct business in such scenarios, given his adherence to constitutional methods rather than political means? Should the dissenting lawmakers insist on employing political tactics to oust the speaker, contrary to the constitutional approach that the president subscribes to, will JNB consider engaging with the faction advocating for the political means to remove the Speaker”?

Patrick believes the Constitution of Liberia is prime, because it serves because the bedrock for all elected or appointed officers within the nation to formulate political methodology concept. He added: “Without the Constitution, the legislators currently advocating and justifying their actions to employ ‘political methods’ for the Speaker’s removal would lack such authority.”

“The law is unequivocal and since the Constitution—not merely “political means”—has vested representatives with their energy, they’re obliged to comply with the Constitution’s provisions and ideas when eradicating the Speaker. While the Speaker might not be a saint or an angel, his elimination should adhere to the due course of as delineated in Articles 38, 43, and 49 of the Liberian Constitution,” he added.

Another supporter Byron Brown, Jr. mentioned the march on the Capitol would be the individuals’s manner of sending a transparent message to the “so-called majority bloc” that they’re on the mistaken facet of the regulation and will desist from their motion.

“They should come back to session because if they can’t come to session we will have a ceaseless protest, and we call on the American Government to sanction them and sanction their kids in order for them to pay heed to what is  happening in our country,” he mentioned.