Liberia: ‘Marginalized’ Lawmakers Refuse Post-Meeting Unity Photo With President Boakai, Say Concerns Remain Unaddressed

Monrovia — What was anticipated to be a moment of unity and institutional reconciliation between President Joseph Boakai and members of the House of Representatives instead ended with a quiet protest on Tuesday when seven lawmakers declined to take part in a post-meeting photo with the Liberian leader.

These lawmakers, who were part of the bloc that supported former Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, walked away from the photo opportunity in a show of discontent over what they described as continued marginalization by current Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon.

The meeting, held at the Executive Mansion, was the first formal interaction between the President and members of the House of Representatives following the resolution of a prolonged leadership standoff that had gripped the lower chamber.

The engagement, according to a post from the Executive Mansion’s official Facebook page, was intended to foster collaboration between the Legislative and Executive branches and to reaffirm commitment to national development through improved governance.

President Boakai used the occasion to commend lawmakers for ending the deadlock and emphasized the importance of cooperation in addressing the country’s pressing challenges.

The meeting appeared cordial as lawmakers were invited by Speaker Koon to introduce themselves to the President. However, underneath the surface of pleasantries, resentment brewed among some lawmakers who felt excluded from decision-making processes since the installation of the new Speaker.

As the meeting concluded and lawmakers were being asked to gather for a group photograph with the President on the Mansion grounds, the discontent became visible.

A group of seven lawmakers quietly left the area, refusing to participate in the photo session. Their action was not impulsive but rather a calculated expression of their dissatisfaction with how Speaker Koon has handled the affairs of the House since taking the gavel.

Among those who walked away was Bong County District #5 Representative Eugene JM Kollie. In an interview shortly after leaving the photo area, Representative Kollie accused Speaker Koon of misleading his colleagues about the nature of the meeting and failing to address their legitimate grievances.

“We were told that the President had called us. That’s what our colleagues made us believe,” Kollie said. “But we later found out that it was the Speaker who arranged the meeting. From the start, there was a lack of transparency, and when we got there, we weren’t even given the chance to speak our minds. That’s not how reconciliation or leadership should work.”

Representative Kollie noted that although the impasse that once disrupted House activities has technically ended, many unresolved issues remain unaddressed. He accused Speaker Koon of trying to project a false sense of unity and normalcy to President Boakai while ignoring fundamental breaches of the House’s rules and procedures.

“Everything is not okay,” Kollie asserted. “They’re telling the President that the House is unified and stable when, in truth, there are still major issues. Our own House Rule 54.9 is very clear. Before any committee is taken from a member, there must be a two-thirds majority vote, which means 49 lawmakers must agree. That did not happen.”

He further stated that the marginalization of lawmakers who backed former Speaker Koffa is deliberate and politically motivated. “We were 26 lawmakers. Almost all of us have had our committee positions stripped without due process. That’s not just unconstitutional. It’s wrong. So, we came here and were expected to pose for a unity photo with the President. But that would have been dishonest. That’s why we walked away.”

While some lawmakers strongly opposed Speaker Koon’s reshuffle of committee leadership, others took a more reconciliatory tone. Nimba County District #7 Representative Musa Hassan Bility, who ran unsuccessfully for the speakership and supported Koffa, acknowledged the discontent but said the meeting with the President was a necessary step toward reconciliation.

“I think it was good to come and tell the President that we are ready to do business,” Bility said. “Liberia must come first. Politics will always be there, but the work of the people must take precedence.”

Though he lost to Speaker Koon and witnessed his allies lose key leadership roles, Bility said he remains committed to legislative service. “There is a Speaker now. I respect that,” he said. “I came to represent the people of Nimba County District #7. Whatever my colleagues ask me to do in the interest of the country, I will do it.”

Speaker Koon’s controversial reorganization of House committees has become the center of criticism and conflict. Upon taking office, he swiftly reassigned nearly all leadership roles within major committees, a move that many lawmakers viewed as retaliatory.

The reassignments affected lawmakers still within the three-year term guaranteed by House Rules under Chapter 14, Rule 54.

According to those rules, a committee chairperson or co-chairperson can only be removed for cause, and such action must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the full membership. The Speaker can only appoint replacements when a chairperson ceases to serve, and even then, appointments must be made in consultation with House leadership.

Despite these clear provisions, Speaker Koon announced sweeping changes, including the replacement of Rep. Josiah Marvin Cole with Rep. James Kolleh as Chair of the Rules, Order and Administration Committee. Rep. P. Mike Jurry of Maryland County was named Chair of the powerful Ways, Means and Finance Committee, replacing another former Koffa ally.

Rep. Sekou Kanneh was appointed to lead the Executive Committee, while Rep. Emmanuel Dahn was reassigned from Chair of the Executive Committee to Chair of the Information and Broadcast Committee. Rep. Nehker Gaye of Nimba County was named Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, displacing Rep. Taa Z. Wongbe.

None of these changes, according to protesting lawmakers, followed the legal procedures outlined in the House rules. Political observers say the hasty reshuffle may have further deepened the divide within the Legislature and questioned Speaker Koon’s approach to building consensus.

For the lawmakers who walked out of the photo session, the decision was not a show of disrespect to President Boakai, but rather a stand for constitutional order and legislative integrity.

Whether Speaker Koon chooses to reconcile with his dissenting colleagues or continues along the current path will determine not just the future of his leadership, but also the tone of legislative governance under the Boakai administration.

By FrontPageAfrica.