Former House Speaker Edwin M. Snowe has informed his constituents that he would not be seeking re-election in the 2011 parliamentary.

Mr. Snowe, who had been at loggerheads with some members of the Sirleaf Administration on a number of governance and constitutional issues, which caused him the house speakership in 2006, gave no reasons for his decision.

He however told his audience during a recent induction ceremony of officers-elect of the GSA Road Community that because he believed in progress he thought it was time for him to support and give the opportunity to other potential and qualified young people in the district to lead.

Observers say what remains uncertain in the wake of the announcement was what the former speaker intends to do beyond the declaration that he would not be seeking reelection for the House.

The declaration by the District #5 representative has sparked speculations amongst the constituents with many suggesting that he may throw his weight behind a protégé.

Others however, believe that Rep. Snowe is not ready to retire from politics and that his declaration not to run may be the beginning of the announcement of a bigger political package.

"Snowe is politically ambitious, and the sky is his limit. I will not be surprise if he declares his intention to run for the senate or the Executive Mansion," said Rachel Moore of District #5 in Monrovia.

While it would be difficult to say which of the speculations is close to this week's decision of Representative Snowe, observers say there was nothing the independent representative has done or said thus far that gave away his true political intentions.

"He is playing his cards very closed to his chest and for good reasons," said one former aide who preferred to remain anonymous.

Meanwhile Representative Snowe said it would be wrong and a travesty of democracy for the government to reject the Final Consolidated Report of the TRC released last December.

He said the report contained "good recommendations" what could reconcile the country.

He did not elaborate, noting only that "the palava hut method to end our nightmare is one of the good things that the TRC reports recommend, and I believe if we were to give it credence, it would have helped our peace building process."

He said if those recommended for debarment from political activities for 30 years, like President Sirleaf, feel that the recommendation was unfounded, they would test the justice system by going to court, rather than trashing the whole report.

He did not say who has or intends to trash the report, but observers recalled that it was the National Legislature, of which Snowe is an influential member, which late last year suspended further action on the report on the flimsy alibis of incompletion and want of session time.

On the recent detention of Montserrado County Superintendent Beauty Barcon and her Development Superintendent, Mr. Momolu Bass, by the House of Representatives, Snowe said their decision was in the interest of the masses who, according to him, have been deprived of the County Development Funds.

He said since the Superintendent's ascendency, she has not contacted them (representatives) on any administrative decision, but that she chose to act alone.

Apart from their action to incarcerate the superintendent, the lawmaker disclosed, they have written the General Auditing Commissioner (GAC) to conduct an immediate audit of all financial activities of the county.

Though still shrouded in speculations, observers say Snowe's decision not to seek reelection in the 2011 elections represented a new selfless dimension in postwar politics.

Instead of throwing in the challenge for the presidency as Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson did, or warding off potential challengers by promising formidable campaign as President Sirleaf did, they say, Snowe simply threw in the towel to give others the chance.

"We think this is good sportsmanship. He deserves the gratitude of Liberians," said one political commentator.