Liberia: Senate Gets Second Female Pro-Temp, as Fiercest Opposition Figures Lead House
Elections for leadership positions at Liberia’s first branch of government – the National Legislature, were conducted on today, Monday, January 15, 2024 with each of the two chambers electing its leaders from the two main rival parties – the outgoing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the incoming Unity Party (UP).
At the Liberian Senate, Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence of the incoming UP-backed Karnga fraction of the opposition Liberty Party (LP) won on white ballot for the position of President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate after fellow Grand Bassa County Senator, Milton Gbezohngar Findley, who was nominated by Margibi County Senator Nathaniel McGill, declined to contest against her.
The Senators’ decision was in affirmation of earlier reports that filtered social media that the Liberian Senate had zeroed in on a resolution to make the Grand Bassa County Senator Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate.
The report was further then given authentication by a member of the CDC in person of Sinoe County Senator Cllr. Augustine Chea, who conceded defeated in a Facebook post.
“We've lost the race for President Pro Tempore. Our candidate didn't make it to the finish line. Even the party's loyal Senators that stayed the course until late Saturday afternoon when the Resolution of the Senate Retreat was signed by 17 Senators in support of the other candidate, surrendered when we realized we've been conquered or that with or without us, the deal was done,” Sen. Chea noted.
“But adding insult to injury was the fact that some of the independent Senators we depended on abandoned us, probably because of our choice of candidate and/or the failure to reach out to them early. Next Monday's Senate President Pro Tempore election will be a mere formality. Senator Karnga-Lawrence will become the next President Pro Tempore,” he added.
The elections of officials at the Legislature bring some level of balance at the Legislature, unlike the outgone Legislature wherein both chambers were controlled by the ruling establishment of the CDC.
Madam Karnga-Lawrence now becomes the second female to be elected to the post and it comes 21 years after Madam Grace Minor, whose reign of the Pro-Temp ended in 2003.
Consensuses were also made on leadership positions including: Chair on Executive -James Biney (Maryland), Chair on Foreign Affairs -Abraham Dillon (Montserrado), Chair on Public Works- Albert Chie (Grand Kru), Chair on Judiciary -Augustine Chea (Sinoe), Chair on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget- Prince Moye (Bong) and Chair on Defense and Security -Momo Cyrus (Lofa).
Others are: Chair on Rules, Order and Administration- Gbleh-bo Brown (Maryland), Chair on Education- Nathaniel Mcgill (Margibi), Chair on Health -Daba Varpilah (Grand Cape Mount), Chair on Internal Affairs -Prince Johnson (Nimba), and Chair on Public Account-Amara Konneh (Gbarpolu).
The rest are: Senate Representatives to ECOWAS -Edwin Melvin Snowe and Alex Tyler (both of Bomi) and Senate Representatives on International Parliamentary Union -Francis Dopoe (River Gee) and Crayton Duncan (Sinoe).
The Standing Committees’ leaderships will now be appointed by Pro-Tempore Karnga-Lawrence.
For the Deputy Speaker’s position, Lofa County Electoral District #1 Representative Thomas P. Fallah overwhelmed Nimba County District #7 Rep. Musa Hassan Bility by 42 to 24 votes. Rep. Fallah is also a member of the CDC, while Bility is from the opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP).
With the House now being headed and controlled by fiercest opposition CDC and the Liberian Senate being pro UP, it is expected that checks and balances will be the hallmark of the Legislature and the entire governance structure of the state.
In a related development, minutes after the 55th Legislature, specifically the House of Representatives Speakership election, the UP filed a petition for Declaratory Judgment at the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Civil Law Court.
According to the petitioner, under the Liberian law, the newest Speaker Cllr. Koffa who tightly won the election with 36 votes against Richard Nagbe Koon, is not qualified to occupy an elected position.
The petitioner for the nullification of Koffa’s in line with Article 4 Section 1 of the Act To amend and/or nullify certain provisions of “The Aliens and Nationality Law” relating to citizenship and restoring the citizenship rights.”
The law states that: "A Liberian citizen who holds the citizenship of another country shall not be eligible for any elective public office while still a citizen of another country. Should such person desire to contest for elective public office, the person must renounce the citizenship of the other country at least one (1) year prior to applying to the National Elections Commission (NEC) to contest for an elective public office and such documentary evidence of such renunciation of citizenship of the other country shall be filed with a circuit court in Liberia and with the NEC at least one (1) year before application to the NEC to contest for the elective public office.”
Petitioner contended that Cllr. Koffa is a citizen of the United States of America holding passport number 489973788 issued on February 13, 2012 which automatically disqualifies him from sitting in said position.
Interestingly, during the October 10, 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections, Cllr. Koffa participated and won the seat in Grand Kru as Representative of his district.
But UP emphasized that Chapter 43 of 1LCL Revised Section 43.1 provides that: "Courts of Records within the respective jurisdictions shall have the power to declare rights, status, and other legal relations whether or not further relief is or could be claimed..."
Additionally, section 43.2 of the Civil Procedure Law provides that: “A contract, or "any person interested under a deed, will, written contact, or other writing constituting a contract, or whose rights, status, or other legal relations are affected by a statute, municipal ordinance, contract or franchise, may have determined any question of construction or validity arising under the instrument, statute, ordinance, contract, or franchise and obtain a declaration of rights states, or other legal relations thereunder.”
Based upon said complaint, Assigned Circuit Judge Golda Bonah- Elliott ordered the Captain of the court, Humphrey Seqeeh to further order a sheriff of the Civil Law Court to issue a writ of summons on Cllr. Koffa.
“You are hereby commanded to summon Cllr. Koffa in the above- entitled cause of action, to appear before the Civil Law Court for the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Montserrado County, Temple of Justice building sitting in its December Term, 2023, to answer Petitioner's (Unity Party) Petition in the above-entitled cause of action and to notify the Cllr. Koffa that upon the failure to appear judgment by default will be rendered against them.
Judge Bonah- Elliott continued: “You are hereby further commanded to notify the Cllr. Koffa to file formal appearance or returns to the Petition in my office on or before the 25th day of January, A.D. 2024.”
Meanwhile, Cllr. Koffa is expected to respond to the said petition and appeared before the court as per the instruction by Judge Bonah- Elliott. While in court trials, he and the incoming government will battle said allegations as the incoming government attached said passport to their petition.
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