MONROVIA – The almost eight-month leadership crisis at the House of Representatives in the 55th Legislature created local and international embarrassment for the Government of Liberia and caught the attention of every Liberian, including former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Frances Johnson Allison, who has weighed into the just-ended turbulent tale.
According to reports, the former Chief Justice has weighed in on the stormy speakership chronicle that recently stunned the House of Representatives, cautioning of clearheaded lessons for the country’s political class and democratic institutions.
In a powerfully-worded echo, Justice Allison offered a scorching analysis of the lawmakers’ conduct, asserting that the drawn-out clash over the House’s leadership exposed deep flaws in political answerability, faithfulness, and the rule of law.
According to former Chief Justice Allison, the number One Lesson learned is that: Lawmakers represent themselves, not the people. Justice Allison, who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia from 1996-1997, criticized members of the Legislature for what she described as “self-serving behavior.”
She noted that elected lawmakers do not represent the interest of the people; rather, they represent their self-interests. “Elected lawmakers do not represent the people; rather, they represent themselves. If it were otherwise, the lawmakers would have sought to resolve their differences long ago instead of dragging the dispute to a point where it became clear that there could be no winner, regardless of the well-being of the people and the state.”
Commenting on the Second Lesson learned which she referred to as: “Elections Have Consequences”, the former High Court Chief Justice emphasized that electoral decisions come with long-term implications. “This saga is a textbook case that elections do have consequences,” Allison lamented, warning voters and political actors alike that the choices made at the ballot box shape not just leadership, but the stability of governance.
As far as her Lesson Number Three, she indicated that: “Power Is a Commodity-And It’s for Sale.” The former top-notch Chief Justice, who also served as Justice Minister as well as Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), intoned that “Power bought can be taken by a higher bidder.” The former Chief Justice appeared to be alluding to widespread allegations of bribery and vote-buying during the internal contest for Speaker of the House.
There are unconfirmed reports that following the resignation of former Speaker, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa as Speaker of the 55th Legislature and the Clerk of the House declared a vacancy, intense lobbying and campaigning went on behind the scenes, where it is said that serious money exchanged hands, involving members of the former majority bloc that had supported the former controversial Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon on one hand, while the Rule of Law Caucus also benefitted from exchange of monies from the candidature of Rep. Musa Hassan Bility to support his bid for the Speakership election. However, The Liberian Post could not independently confirm these rumors prior to going to press, but investigation continues.
As the former High Court Chief Justice concluded her analysis of the entire House leadership crisis, she noted that Lesson number Four learned is that: “The State Must Prevail.” Justice Allison appealed for national unity, calling on political actors and stakeholders to remember that personals ambitions must always bow to the collective good of the country rather than personal egos and self-interests. “The survival of the state supersedes anyone’s personal interest, as this is the very essence of the state.”
It can be recalled late last year some members of the House of Representatives who referred to themselves as ‘Majority bloc’ illegally removed the now former Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 55th Legislature, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, for alleged corruption, lack of accountability, failure to institute an audit, among others. Ironically, the ‘Majority bloc’ allegedly failed to give the accused due process but rather chose to operate a parallel Plenary, something that is against the Constitution of Liberia and the House’s own Standing Rules. After months of legal battle, with different interpretations, the Supreme Court of Liberia declared in its opinion that whatsoever that was done by the ‘majority bloc’ during their time of operation in a parallel session was unconstitutional.
The ‘majority bloc’ rejected the High Court ruling and vowed to continue operating, while President Joseph Boakai also acknowledged the High Court’s ruling but ironically, stated that he would only deal with a quorum in the House of Representatives.
Knowing that the House of Representatives was becoming an impediment to governance in the State, former Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa and team, having consulted former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, prominent Liberians and stakeholders, decided to resign and save the state.
A new election for a new Speaker of the House of Representatives was conducted and as the now new Speaker Richard Koon once put it, “no government will want to operate without their ‘regime speaker’. “I am the regime speaker.” Koon once said during the House’s leadership crisis.
Now that Koon was legitimately elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 55th Legislature, former Chief Justice Francis Johnson Allison wouldn’t have said it any better as she has said in her analysis in the entire House leadership debacle that almost brought Liberia on its knees.
Political pundits have opined that “As the nation reflects on the fallout from the speakership debacle, Allison’s remarks serve as both a critique and a call to conscience for Liberian leaders to navigate the turbulent waters of democratic governance”.
Liberia as the first independent nation on the Continent of Africa must and should be the beacon of hope in regards to democracy and democratic tenets. It is hoped that never that this debacle is repeated to taint the image of the first independent country on the continent of Africa.
