MONROVIA – The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has issued a resounding call for full compliance with the recent Supreme Court ruling aimed at resolving the protracted impasse within the House of Representatives. Addressing a press conference on Monday, April 28, 2025, at CENTAL headquarters in Sinkor, Monrovia, Atty. Gerald D. Yeakula, CENTAL’s Program Manager, emphasized the need for unwavering adherence to the April 23, 2025, judgment.
“For more than six months, Liberians have witnessed their lawmakers invest valuable time, energy, and resources into removing a Speaker rather than crafting critical legislations to address the hardships faced by their constituents,” Atty. Yeakula lamented. He pointed out that throughout this period, ordinary citizens have been the greatest victims of a legislature embroiled in internal conflict.
Yeakula cited numerous disturbing developments resulting from the legislative uproar, including public accusations among lawmakers of bribery and corruption surrounding the national budget. He also referenced the recent fire that damaged a segment of the Capitol Building and criticized the House of Representatives for hastily passing the 2025 national budget within an unprecedented ten-day period, a move the Senate quickly concurred with.
“These actions have severely undermined Liberia’s governance structures,” Yeakula stated. “Liberians and Liberia have borne the brunt of this dysfunction.”
On April 23, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled decisively that legislative actions taken by the so-called “majority bloc,” a group of lawmakers who convened without Speaker J. Fonati Koffa presiding, were unconstitutional. The Court rendered null and void all decisions made during these sessions, including the election of Representative Richard Koon as an alternative Speaker and the suspension of several lawmakers.
The Supreme Court’s ruling was meant to bring clarity to the ongoing leadership dispute that had paralyzed the House of Representatives. It also responded to a Bill of Information filed by Speaker Koffa seeking interpretation of an earlier, ambiguously worded ruling from December 6, 2024.
Despite the Court’s firm pronouncement, reactions have been far from unified. Government officials and opposition figures have interpreted the ruling in contrasting ways, exposing deeper rifts within the political establishment.
While Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah issued a public statement indicating acceptance and respect for the Court’s decision, other officials have taken to social media to reject the ruling. More notably, Representative Richard Koon vowed that his bloc would neither recognize nor adhere to the Court’s ruling.
On the other hand, Speaker Koffa welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision and pledged to prioritize reconciliation and collaboration among lawmakers. Key opposition leaders, including former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, warned that ignoring the Court’s directive could plunge the country into chaos.
President Joseph N. Boakai addressed the nation following the ruling, promising to work with any legislative body that meets quorum to ensure government functionality. However, his remarks were criticized for appearing reluctant to recognize Koffa’s restored legitimacy or to move decisively to enforce the Court’s mandate.
CENTAL expressed concern that by continuing to engage with the Koon bloc, President Boakai’s administration risks undermining Liberia’s fragile constitutional order. “A pronouncement by the President to sever ties with the Koon bloc would have demonstrated full compliance with the Court’s mandate,” Yeakula asserted.
Instead, CENTAL believes that the government’s ongoing engagement with the Koon bloc amounts to a grave setback to Liberia’s democratic progress. “Respect for the Supreme Court’s authority is non-negotiable in a democracy,” Yeakula emphasized.
The argument by some government officials that functioning governance requires working with the Koon bloc because they meet quorum was sharply rejected by CENTAL. The organization pointed to the Supreme Court’s declaration that a quorum presided over by an illegitimate Speaker is no quorum at all.
CENTAL also highlighted a longstanding legislative failure. “Over 39 years ago, our Constitution mandated the Legislature to prescribe rules to compel attendance of absent members. Yet, they have failed to do so,” Yeakula said.
This failure, according to CENTAL, means the burden falls squarely on members of the Koon bloc to respect the Supreme Court ruling and return to sessions presided over by Speaker Koffa. If they wish to challenge his leadership, they must do so lawfully, within a legitimate forum.
Yeakula further noted that the Koon bloc’s decision to file a Petition for Re-Argument with the Supreme Court indicates their recognition of the ruling’s significance. Until the Court rules otherwise, CENTAL insists that its April 23 decision remains binding.
“We call on the Executive to proceed in respecting the Supreme Court’s decision until such time the Court itself rules otherwise,” Yeakula demanded.
CENTAL also criticized the judiciary for its sluggish handling of the Bill of Information filed by Speaker Koffa, asserting that the Court’s delay contributed to the prolonged crisis in the Legislature. “Matters with serious governance implications deserve the same urgency as election disputes,” Yeakula urged.
The organization called on the Legislature to lead by example, stressing that respect for the rule of law is paramount for national stability. “There can be no shortcut about this,” Yeakula declared. “Shortcuts have already caused a near dysfunctional Legislature and a paralysis in critical decision-making.”
In closing, CENTAL called on President Boakai to fully enforce the Supreme Court ruling by restoring Speaker Koffa’s rights and privileges and immediately severing ties with the Koon bloc unless or until the Court issues a different directive.
“Liberia’s future depends on leaders who respect the Constitution, and the time to demonstrate that commitment is now,” Atty. Yeakula concluded.
