Liberia: Speaker Koffa Reaffirms He Will Not Resign Amid Deputy Speaker Fallah’s Defection and Planned March on Capitol

Monrovia — Embattled House Speaker, J Fonati Koffa, has vowed not to resign his position, insisting that if the renegade lawmakers want him out of the position they will have to obtain the required two-thirds majority to oust him.

By Selma Lomax selma.lomax@frontpageafricaonline.com

According to Speaker Koffa, if their bloc obtains the 49 votes required to remove him, he will step aside, but until then, he remains the Speaker.

“I, J. Fonati Koffa, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God. This is the oath we took on January 15, 2024, and this is the oath for which we live our political career for, and if need be, we are prepared for political death,” Koffa posted to his Facebook handle on Sunday.

The “majority bloc”, a conglomeration of lawmakers pushing for Koffa’s resignation, has accused the Speaker of budget manipulation, spreading misinformation, and obstructing an audit by the General Auditing Commission (GAC). 

Since then, the political atmosphere within the House has deteriorated significantly, with Koffa failing to secure the necessary majority to maintain control. 

Last Thursday, Koffa’s bloc failed to secure the required attendance needed for a quorum, which led to the adjournment of the session. Out of the House’s 73 members, only 28 lawmakers were present, falling short of the required 37 lawmakers necessary to proceed.

With Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah presiding over the “majority bloc” session”, political observers say it highlights a severe loss of support, and highlights the fragmentation within the legislative body.

Protest planned for Tuesday

Frustrated with the decision of the renegade lawmakers to abandon session, a group calling itself Campaigners for Change, led by activist Vandalark Patricks, is planning a protest Tuesday at the Capitol Building in an attempt to compel lawmakers to return to session.

And with momentum soaring on social media, many fear it could lead to a standoff between supporters of lawmakers of the anti-Koffa bloc and the pro-Koffa bloc.

On his Facebook he wrote: “The “March on the Capitol” to demand those 43 cruel lawmakers that have taken heavy bribes ($US25,000) to suvert or violate our constitution is set for November 5, 2024! There’s absolutely no turning back! We are not questioning the REMOVAL of the Speaker. But, we are requesting the 43 lawmakers to use the Constitution of Liberia and the House’s own Rules to remove the Speaker! Liberians are interested in the allegations levied against the Speaker and articulated in their “Resolution”. We are of the strongest conviction that when the Speaker is removed in line with our constitution, and accorded due process, a lot of things will be exposed. This would lead to a serious reform of the National Legislature. This will be in the best interest of ALL Liberians.”

Patricks said the refusal by lawmakers pushing Koffa’s removal to adhere to constitutional procedures is an assault on the Constitution itself and it is unacceptable. 

“It is a known fact that the Legislature serves as a battleground for lobbying, where success hinges on legally securing the requisite support through constitutional numbers to achieve one’s goals,” he said.

“In the days and weeks to come, Liberia will be unstable, and donors, and foreign companies wanting to invest in Liberia will be apprehensive to come. They will develop a fear that Liberian officials, especially policymakers, do not subscribe to the rule of law. It’s the story of the red, white, and black cow told by former president Taylor, and it has become the reality today for African leaders.”

Patricks wondered, “with whom will our president conduct business in such scenarios, given his adherence to constitutional methods rather than political means? Should the dissenting lawmakers insist on employing political tactics to oust the speaker, contrary to the constitutional approach that the president subscribes to, will JNB consider engaging with the faction advocating for the political means to remove the Speaker”?

Patrick believes the Constitution of Liberia is fundamental, as it serves as the bedrock for all elected or appointed officials in the country to formulate political method theory. He added: “Without the Constitution, the legislators currently advocating and justifying their actions to employ ‘political methods’ for the Speaker’s removal would lack such authority.”

“The law is unequivocal and since the Constitution—not merely “political means”—has vested representatives with their power, they are obliged to follow the Constitution’s provisions and principles when removing the Speaker. While the Speaker may not be a saint or an angel, his removal must adhere to the due process as delineated in Articles 38, 43, and 49 of the Liberian Constitution,” he added.

Another supporter Byron Brown, Jr. said the march on the Capitol will be the people’s way of sending a clear message to the “so-called majority bloc” that they are on the wrong side of the law and should desist from their action.

“They should come back to session because if they can’t come to session we will have a ceaseless protest, and we call on the American Government to sanction them and sanction their kids in order for them to pay heed to what is  happening in our country,” he said.

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