The Supreme Court of Liberia recently described the ongoing leadership crisis in the House of Representatives as a “chaotic trend” in Liberia that needs to be reversed. We couldn’t have agreed with the High Court any better.
Despite the presence of the legitimate Speaker of the House, a group of lawmakers, referring to themselves as Majority Bloc gathered and elected Montserrado County Sistrict#11 Representative Richard Nagbe Koon, of the ruling Unity Party as Speaker. This action was done outside the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia.
Though illegal, their action is backed by the Executive that has interpreted in its favor, an earlier Supreme Court opinion that noted that actions taken at the House were ultra vires, contrarily inducting Representative Koon in office as Speaker in spite of the presence of embattled Speaker J. Fonati Koffa.
Ultra vires is a Latin phrase that is used in law to describe an act that requires legal authority but is done without it.
Speaker Koffa has challenged his illegal removal before the Supreme Court twice, with the recent being a Bill of Information, at which hearing the Court sounded the early warning about “chaotic trend” in the governing system of the country.
The regional bloc, ECOWAS, through its parliamentary body has tried twice in intervening to salvage the impasse without succeeding largely as a result of non-cooperative posture by members of the so-called majority bloc.
In their obsession with power, they have gone to the extent of writing the ECOWAS Parliament, requesting withdrawal of three Liberian Representatives who were sent to that body under the Koffa leadership. But the Parliament turned the request down because it contravenes its rules.
We are of a very strong conviction that no institution can resolve or address this flagrant violation of the Constitution of Liberia than the Supreme Court that interprets the laws of the land.
Now that the Court itself has observed that the prevailing situation in the country is “chaotic trend”, it has the power to reverse this trend by properly and boldly interpreting the constitution for all parties involved without any ambiguity.
The last time the Court spoke on the issue, it left the public in suspense and doubt, a moment the Executive branch of government took advantage of and provided its own interpretation, justifying its actions.
This time around, we are asking the Highest Court of the land to come clear in this matter by letting the chip fall where it may be in line with the law regarding which party is in the wrong. This will enable the Liberian people to understand the law and reflect accordingly.
