The Inquirer (Monrovia)
Morrison O.G. Sayon
2 May 2007
The Liberian Senate has taken strong issue with the Executive Branch of government accusing it of interfering with the work of the National Legislature.
Yesterday, members of the Liberian Senate accused President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of imposing her will on them, (Senators) by requesting for a particular member of that august body to join the Labor Ministry delegation to attend the International Labor Organization conference scheduled to convene in Geneva, Switzerland.
In a letter to the Senate, President Sirleaf requested that the Senate underwrite the cost of the trip to Geneva to allow Montserrado County Senior, Joyce Freeman-Sumo to join the Ministry of labor delegation for the ILO conference.
The President's letter was met with strong resistance as members of the Upper House of parliament sharply criticized her for selecting a particular Senator to attend the conference when in fact there is a committee on Labor of which, Senator Joyce Sumo is the Co-Chairman.
Grand Bassa County Senator, Gbenzongar Findley, and other Senators including Senator Joseph Nagbe, Senator Isaac Johnson and others argued that the President's letter should have been addressed to the labor committee who would select the person to attend the conference.
A motion was made by Bomi County Senator, Richard Devine, to write a revised letter thus, allowing the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Labor, Sen. Joseph Nagbe to attend the conference instead of the President' choice.
In more Legislative news, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has asked the House of Representatives to return the draft Governance Reform Commission (GRC) and the National Defense Acts to her for reconsideration.
In a letter to the House of Representatives, the President said that her withdrawing of the two Acts from that august body for her reconsideration and revision is based upon valid and substantive issues that has been brought to her attention.
The Liberian leader said the Chairman of the GRC, Dr. Amos Sawyer has raised concerns regarding the drafting of the Act without inputs of stakeholders and that the Act has been crafted in the absence of a defense policy and without sensitivity to Liberia's security environment within the larger West African Security environment.
On the GRC, President Sirleaf said the Auditor General of Liberia has pointed out that the proposed Act would give the Commission the right to keep books' accounts thus, taking on certain statutory functions of the Ministry of Finance.
She also noted that the Auditor General sees conflict with the functions of the Liberia Institute of Public Administration, the Public Procurement and Concession Commission and the GRC. Meanwhile, members of the House have accepted the withdrawal of the two Acts, which were sent to that august body three months ago for ratification.
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