There is a single House of Representatives on Capitol Hill, the seat of the Liberian government, but there are certainly two Speakers now available for a single seat at the Lower House-if events unfolding at the first branch of government are anything to go by.
The House has been embroiled in a leadership crisis for over a month now, putting to test or some would say to an end, the legitimacy of the power of Speaker J. Fonati Koffa who has been struggling to tame revolting colleagues. Known as the Majority Bloc, the aggrieved lawmakers, who were 43 but now reportedly boast 50 members, have been calling for the removal of Koffa-and may have succeeded, though their move reportedly lacks legal backing.
On Thursday, November 21, members of the Majority Bloc elected Representative Richard Koon (Unity Party, District 11, Montserrado County) as their new Speaker, following the bloc's declaration of the vacancy of the Speaker's position.
The decision was made after the reading of a resolution calling for the removal of the current Speaker, with 50 lawmakers signing the resolution and Deputy Chief Clerk Comicks Chea reading it.
In a surprising turn of events, the Majority Bloc prevented Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah from conducting a vote to officially endorse the resolution and instead noted and adopted the decision during their plenary session.
The Majority Bloc has informed the House's clerical staff to notify the Executive, Judiciary, Senate, and diplomatic community about the leadership change. They have also directed the Executive to transfer all office-related amenities from Speaker Koffa to the newly elected Speaker, Richard Koon.
Additionally, the Bloc has given Speaker Koffa a one-week ultimatum to vacate the Speaker's office.
Speaker Koffa has responded to the Majority Bloc's actions by stating on his Facebook page: "Nothing has happened." Lawmakers aligned with Koffa have criticized the Majority Bloc's actions and intend to seek redress through the Supreme Court.
Majority Bloc Circumventing Constitutional Norms
Following Koon's election as Speaker, the leadership faction aligned with Koffa in Liberia's House of Representatives issued a statement condemning what they perceive as "unconstitutional and unlawful attempts" to undermine the authority of the legislative body.
The leadership's statement warns that such actions pose a significant threat to Liberia's democratic principles. The House's leadership expressed concern that the alleged efforts orchestrated by a self-proclaimed "majority bloc" are circumventing constitutional norms and procedural frameworks.
They believe that these actions not only compromise the credibility of Liberia's institutions but also erode the collective will of the Liberian people. In their statement, the House leadership reiterates their commitment to upholding the Liberian Constitution and the rule of law.
They advocate for addressing grievances and disagreements through established legal processes and emphasize the importance of unity and respect for constitutional principles in safeguarding the nation's democracy.
The leadership has called upon the judiciary to intervene as the "ultimate arbiter" capable of restoring order and upholding Liberia's democratic foundations. By appealing for unity among lawmakers and emphasizing the nation's interests over personal or political motivations, the House underscores the significance of collective responsibility in protecting Liberia's democracy.
They urge lawmakers to prioritize the preservation of democratic institutions and uphold the rule of law to maintain the integrity of the nation's governance structures. The House's call for unity comes amidst escalating political tensions following the Majority Bloc's election of Richard Koon as Speaker, which has heightened the strains within the legislative body.
Koffa Runs to Supreme Court Full Bench
After issuing the statement, Speaker Koffa and his faction immediately filed a petition to the Supreme Court alleging unconstitutional actions carried out by the Majority Bloc.
The petition challenges unauthorized convening of plenary sessions, suspension of lawmakers without due process, illegal committee restructuring, and the seizure of the 2025 draft national budget.
This petition arises amid a growing rift within the House of Representatives. The Majority Bloc recently passed a resolution demanding Speaker Koffa's removal and elected Representative Richard Nagbe Koon as their new Speaker. Operating separately from the main chamber, the Bloc has conducted sessions in the joint chamber, citing conflict of interest and corruption as reasons for their actions.
Koffa and team contend that no vacancy has occurred in the Speaker's office to warrant such actions and that the Majority Bloc's actions undermine the established procedural framework of the House.
In addition, the petitioners allege that the respondents' actions contravene Article 49 of the Constitution, which defines the Speaker's authority, as well as multiple provisions of the House Standing Rules.
The petitioners allege that Representatives Edward Flomo (District 13, Montserrado County), Abu Kamara (District 15, Montserrado County), and Marvin Cole (District 3, Bong County) were suspended arbitrarily and without adherence to due process. They claim the suspensions violated Article 20 of the Constitution, which guarantees due process, and House Standing Rule 48, which outlines procedures for disciplinary actions.
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The petition also accuses the majority bloc of unlawfully restructuring statutory committees. According to Speaker Koffa, the reconstitution of these committees ignored the required two-thirds approval of the House membership, as mandated by legislative rules. Additionally, the appointments made by the Speaker for three-year terms were disregarded.
The petition invokes Article 6 of the Constitution, which designates the Supreme Court as the final arbiter in constitutional disputes. It also cites Chapter 2, Section 2.2 of the Judiciary Law, granting the Court jurisdiction over extraordinary writs.
The petition calls for the declaration of these actions as unconstitutional and seeks to reinstate the Speaker's authority over budget deliberations.
The petitioners are requesting the Supreme Court to declare the respondents' plenary sessions unconstitutional and nullify all decisions made therein, reinstate the suspended lawmakers and rule their suspensions as unconstitutional, nullify the restructuring of statutory committees, declare the seizure of the 2025 draft national budget unlawful and reinstate the Speaker's authority over budget deliberations.
