Liberia: Calm Returns to Capitol Hill

The six-month leadership crisis in the House of Representatives has come to an end, with the election of Rep. Richard N. Koon as Speaker. The Montserrado County District 12 Representative bested his prime opponent, Rep. Musa Hassan Bility (Nimba, District #7) for the seat. Deputy Speaker, Rep. Thomas P. Fallah, although expected to run, did not.

The election on Monday immediately followed the resignation of then-Speaker, Rep. J. Fonati Koffa (Grand Kru, District 2). Koffa sustained a significant loss of confidence in the House, having been indicted for criminal conspiracy, criminal solicitation, and criminal facilitation, amongst other alleged crimes.

An aggressive takeover

News of Koffa’s reported misconduct, last September, triggered a constitutional crisis that lasted until this week. Lawmakers, led by Koon, mutinied for months, refusing to attend sessions, thus robbing the plenary of a quorum. Their aim, to garner the forty-nine signatures needed to unseat a speaker.

Failing in that effort, Koon’s self-professed ‘Majority Bloc’ elected him Speaker and blocked Koffa from entering the Speaker’s office suite. It was an effective dismissal unheard of in Liberian politics–even in a House that had already seen two of its post-war Speakers ousted in similar fashion.

More alarming still were the various incidences of violence surrounding the saga, culminating in an arson attack on the Capitol Building, which is still under investigation by forensic experts from the United States.

Meanwhile, President Joseph N. Boakai’s government seemed willing enough to conduct business with Koon’s parallel leadership structure, arguing that budget negotiations had to ensue to carry out his development agenda. The Senate tacitly concurred, receiving the budget passed under Koon’s leadership, and ratifying the document.

A repudiation of Koffa

The Supreme Court came twice to Koffa’s defense. Its opinions, handed down in December and April, called any sitting of the House in the elected Speaker’s absence unconstitutional.

While widely recognized as a vindication of Koffa’s long fight for his seat, it was not enough to save it. Koon’s rebellion persisted, triggering Koffa’s decision to finally step aside.

He did not, however, abandon his resistance to Koon. Koffa reportedly opted instead to back Bility, his staunch ally in the months-long saga and former chairman of the Rule of Law Caucus.

But the latter’s loss on Monday was firm testament that the House has moved past Koffa–despite most Representatives having at least backed him silently and on principle.

A new corps of officers

Speaker Koon has begun restructuring the House, appointing the following officials to the chairmanship of key committees:

Representative James Kolleh–Chairperson, Committee on Rules, Order and Administration (Bong County)

Representative P. Mike Jurry–Chairperson, Committee on Ways, Means, and Finance (Maryland)

Representative Sekou Kanneh–Chairperson, Committee on Executive (Montserrado County)

Representative Emmanuel Dahn–Co-Chair, Committee on Executive (Montserrado County) Representative Nehker Gaye–Chairperson, Committee on Foreign Affairs (Nimba County) With these developments, it is the public hope that normal legislative work will resume in full effect.

Democracy wins–somehow and for now

The general consensus around the election results indeed shows promise of progress. Bility was magnanimous in accepting his fate. “We lost an election. But democracy has been restored to the House of Representatives. Liberia wins. The rule of law wins,” he said, Monday.

President Boakai was nearly as prompt in his congratulatory remarks. While giving his National Unification Day address at his Rehab residence, on Wednesday, he called the election a sign of Liberia’s democratic progress.

Boakai had reportedly backed the new Speaker for his present post early in the new administration but had found Koffa too strong a contender. He got his wish on Monday.

The President praised the House for a peaceful and transparent elections process, saying it “reflects strong leadership and hope for the nation.”

Koon, albeit the standard bearer of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), has effectively emerged as the face of the Unity Party. In his remarks, the new Speaker thanked his colleagues and promised to lead with unity, integrity, and service to the people

But his predecessors, Edwin Melvin Snowe, J. Alex Taylor, and now Koffa, will no doubt be waiting in the wings for news of his fate. Of late, Liberian Speakers rarely serve their full term.

By Liberian Observer.