Call by the once viable Liberia Council of Churches for both sides in the leadership impasse at the House of Representatives to uphold the law is little too late and disappointing. After more than two months of in-fighting that was sometimes characterized by threats of violence and police brutality, stalling the business of the Liberian people for this long without any intervention, was the LCC constrained to speak so lately and faintly?
We say faintly because even after the final arbiter of Justice in the land, the Supreme Court of Liberia had spoken albeit indefinitely, with the majority bloc remaining belligerent and backed by the Executive, what impact is the LCC’s call?
Speaking in a reconciliatory dialogue meeting on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at Providence Baptist Church in Monrovia, the President of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC), Rev. Dr. Samuel B. Reeves, Jr., called on Majority Bloc members of the House of Representatives and embattled Speaker J. Fonati Koffa to uphold the Supreme Court’s recent opinion, urging adherence to the principles of justice and the rule of law.
The Supreme Court recently, referencing Articles 33 and 49 of the Constitution of Liberia, called on both parties to act in conformity with the law and for honorable conduct from all parties involved.
As interpreter of the Liberian Constitution, Rev. Dr. Samuel B. Reeves said that the Supreme Court has laid down a ruling that serves as a foundation for good governance. But we beg to differ. The Court did not rule with a specific stance or interpretation. Rather, it advised all sides to return and act in the confines of the law.
One had thought that the Church, as our society’s moral conscience, would have spoken long ago. But its conspicuous silence in the last two months on the issue, which has a propensity to derail state governance and stifle the already bleeding economy, left a vacuum that politicians took advantage of and provided interpretations that suited their quest.
At the eleventh hour, when a new Speaker has been elected outside of Articles 33 and 49 of the Constitution
Article 33 of the Constitution reads, “A simple majority of each House shall constitute a quorum for the business transaction, but a lower number may adjourn from day to day and compel the attendance of absent members. Whenever the House of Representatives and the Senate shall meet in joint session, the presiding officer of the House of Representatives shall preside”, while Article 49 says, “The House of Representatives shall elect once every six years a Speaker who shall be the presiding officer of that body, a Deputy Speaker, and such other officers as shall ensure the proper functioning of the House. The Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, and other officers so elected may be removed from office for cause by resolution of a two-thirds majority of the members of the House.”
However, the two-thirds majority, as legally required, was never met by the majority bloc in electing a new Speaker to replace Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. Notwithstanding, the Executive branch of the government gave approval, endorsing ruling Unity Party Representative Richard Nagbe Koon as Speaker.
We deem the LCC’s call as a face-saving move to give the impression that it spoke when the nation needed moral advice and direction, but the voice lacks weight and is belated.
