MONROVIA – The powerplay rocking the National Legislature is seemingly heading towards a deadlock, as some pundits have begun predicting a major constitutional crisis in the coming days. What is supposed to be a bicameral Legislature is turning into “tricameral body”, as one of the two wings of the National Legislature, the House of Representatives, is split in the center, and each offshoot is holding parallel deliberations. Amid the crisis, some citizens are advising the head of the House, Grand Kru representative J. Fonati Koffa, to step aside “for the sake of peace” and to save the sanctity of the House from desecration. But as The Analyst reports, it seems the House Speaker is highly disinclined to fall to the temptation, vowing to pursue his agenda of cleansing the First Branch of Government of corruption, ending the House’s version of “business as usual” that President Boakai is purportedly pursuing at the Executive Branch.
Though apparently embattled and stressed out, House Speaker J. Fonati Kofa, is not curving in – at least not now even despite the fact that a certain “majority bloc” of his colleagues has broken out of all control, mutinying for his ouster. Koffa is seemed demonstrating calm, immunity and authority amid the furnace of the cat-and-dog fight taking place and shaking the very foundation of the revered body.
Asked by journalists during a press conference yesterday at his Capitol Building office if he would like to yield to pressure from his opponents and would consider calls by some Liberians to give way for the sake of restoring peace and order, the Grand Kru Representative said emphatically, “resigning is not an option” and that he would continue to act “within the confines of the law”.
He said opposition elements ganging up against him, and calling themselves “the majority bloc” are doing so because they desire to keep the House of Representatives in what is described as “business as usual.”
“This has to stop,” he stressed, adding that the drive for transformation, transparency and accountability feared by his opponents is a must for a long opaque Legislature.
Speaker Kofa indicated that most of the issues raised by his colleagues in their resolution are intended to seek undue relevance and lack substance.
He maintained that none of the issues raised by the house of representatives from both blocs were captured in the resolution signed by the group calling for his removal.
He admitted that some lawmakers from both the so-called majority bloc and from within his own base failed to reached out to him on issues like how leadership positions were distributed among members.
Speaker J. Fonati Kofa has reaffirmed his commitment to a transparent, creditable and open Legislature that will be in the interest of the masses of the Liberian people.
He also indicated that his leadership as speaker of the House of Representatives would continue to ensure that the august body be audited in line with what members of the 55th Legislature have requested.
Speaker J. Fonati Kofa said consistent with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s “no business as usual” commitment in the Executive Branch of Government, there will equally be no business as usual at the National Legislature.
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