Monrovia– Representative Richard N. Koon is adoring the trappings associated with the position of Speaker he is said to be controversially and illegally occupying over the last past months as a result of the leadership brouhaha that has engulfed the House of Representatives. An approximately whooping $1million dollars allotment in the budget approved under his gavel and other privileges are part of benefits associated with the office he currently but ‘illegally’ occupies.
Peace has eluded the House of Representatives since October17, 2024 when a group of lawmakers signed a Resolution to remove Speaker Koffa who was out of the country at the time, travelling with President Joseph Boakai to Italy. The rebelliouslawmakers accused the Speaker of corruption, saying he does not enjoy their confidence any longer to preside over them.
Koffa and his allies sought solution to the debacle that hugely affected legislative functions and strangulated governmentoperations but to no avail as the the rebellious Representatives dug in the heels.
On November 21, 2024, members of the majority bloc – the group with the highest numbers in the House leadership crisis- went ahead with the election of Speaker amid the flames of political fire and combustion, and Rep. Koon was favored by his colleagues.
But ongoing twists and turns are claiming public attention and spurring questions as to whether his throne is on fire.
The Supreme Court of Liberia which is blamed for flaming the tension due the “ambiguous ruling” the Executive Branch of Government through the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Cllr. Oswald Tweh interpreted in favor of Koon and his majority bloc might just be getting ready to right the wrong.
The Government has been doing business with Speaker Koon and the majority bloc on the strength of Justice Minister Tweh’sinterpretation of the ruling, though other legal minds and members of minority bloc that supports Speaker Koffa contested the interpretation and termed it to be a mere “political” move.
Amid barrage of criticisms nearly by all and sundry, Justice-In-Chambers, Associate Justice Yarmie Gbeisay lit candle on the Court’s “Ultra Vires” ruling after the entire Supreme Court Bench boycotted President Joseph Boakai’s Annual Message to the National Legislature in January.
“Sometimes ago when we did not turn out for the president’s address, it became more of a news than the address itself. That was a formal way of not getting involve in potential conflict. You remember the conflict going on at the House and it appeared before us. We made a decision. The effect of that decision was that, look, our law requires that the House will have a quorum and that quorum should be presided over by a speaker. Now that you, the quote-on-quote Majority Bloc has a quorum, but we don’t see a Speaker there. So, whatever you do is Ultra vires,” Cllr. Gbeisay stated during a program in NimbaCounty.
“We turned to the Minority Bloc and say minority bloc the law says until you can get a majority, until you can get quorum, you should continue to adjourn day to day and compel the other people to join. But there is no statue to tell us how you will compel the other people. You don’t have a rule to tell us how to compel the other people, so, you too, you will remain there until you get a majority. Whatever you do is ultra vires. So, to the both sides, the Supreme Court was clearly saying go and solve your problem,” he further said.
There is still no end to the crisis in spite of the Associate Justice clarification, as the majority bloc continues to conduct businessand pass on key legislations.
The issue has taken a dramatic twist with the issuance of a writ by the Supreme Court commanding the appearance of key members of the House of Representatives over an ongoing leadership dispute.
As per the Supreme Court’s writ, the matter centers around the alleged unconstitutional actions of Representative Koon and his faction, who reportedly attempted to assume control of the House in violation of a previous court ruling.
The hullabaloo shrouds in controversial dethronement ofSpeaker Koffa, which the court in its December 6, 2024 ruling deemed illegal.
The Court has ordered all respondents, including Koon, Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, and members of the Majority Bloc, to appear before the full bench on March 14, 2025. The court intends to determine whether their continued defiance amounts to contempt, which could lead to severe legal repercussions.
The summon of the Representative Koon and the members of the majority bloc is on the strength of bill of information earlier filed by the legal team of embattled speaker Koffa.
According to Koffa legal representatives, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General Tweh further aggravated the situation by misinterpreting the court’s ruling in a way that bolstered members of the majority bloc, and prayed the court further to compel Tweh to publicly retract his opinion.
This case carries significant political implications as it questions the constitutional authority of the Speaker and the legal standing of any decisions made by the Majority Bloc. If the court rules against Koon and his faction, all actions taken under his leadership could be nullified, causing a major shake-up within the House of Representatives.
Political experts believe it is a legal showdown that has the potential to test Liberia’s judicial independence and the strength of its democratic institutions.
With tensions high, all eyes will be on the Supreme Court’s March 14 hearing, which could set a historic precedent for legislative authority in Liberia.
Mr. Koon shook the nation recently when he classified himself as ‘regime speaker,’ inferring that his ascendancy was supported by the government given that he is a member of the ruling Unity Party.
Observers see his comments as an exposure of the government determination to ignore the rule of law in House leadership quagmire once its interest is meant at all cost.
