MONROVIA – President Joseph Boakai has been reportedly engaged in talks with both the majority and minority blocs of the House of Representatives in an effort to resolve the ongoing leadership impasse.
By Selma Lomax [email protected]
The discussions come as the country prepares for a pivotal Supreme Court hearing on March 14, concerning a Bill of Information filed by Speaker Fonati Koffa against the Majority Bloc.
The minority bloc, led by Speaker Koffa, has insisted on holding new elections for the Speakership, rejecting the legitimacy of Speaker Richard Koon’s leadership. The minority bloc argues that Koon was not elected by all members of the House, thus questioning his authority.
The legal dispute stems from allegations that the Majority Bloc, led by Speaker Koon and Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, violated a December 6, 2024, Supreme Court ruling. The court had issued directives that the Majority Bloc is accused of disregarding.
In December 2024, Koffa, represented by his legal counsel Cllr. Arthur Johnson, petitioned the Supreme Court for corrective action, citing what he called a deliberate disregard of the court’s ruling.
Koffa’s petition also accuses Liberia’s Justice Minister and Attorney General, Cllr. Oswald Tweh, of contributing to the violations by issuing a legal opinion on December 10, 2024, that misinterpreted the court’s ruling. According to Koffa’s legal team, Cllr. Tweh’s opinion, which asserted that the Majority Bloc’s actions were lawful, further deepened the illegal proceedings within the legislature.
Koffa’s legal team is asking the Supreme Court to declare the actions of Majority Bloc leaders, including Koon and Fallah, null and void, and to deem all sessions, hearings, and decisions held by the Majority Bloc as violations of the court’s ruling.
In response to the ongoing legal battle, President Boakai has reportedly met with Koon and Koffa separately in hopes of ending the legislative impasse at the House of Representatives.
