MONROVIA – As the feud between House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and a group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives deepens with resolution far-fetched – Supreme Court nearly declining intervention and the Executive Branch suspected of fueling infighting – ECOWAS is once again ready to do what it does better: intervening in Liberia’s political crises and finding workable solutions. As The Analyst reports, ECOWAS Parliament at the highest level is embarking on a special mission, this time to explore root causes and possibly resolve ongoing Capitol Hill’s “political war” which not only stalls legislative works in the country but threatens to bring the entire nation to its knees.
A November 8, 2024 official communication from the ECOWAS Parliament is calling on the attention of embattled Speaker of the House of Representatives, J. Fonati Koffa, to what it called
“Parliamentary Mediation Mission of the ecowas parliament on the political impasse at the Liberian House of Representatives.
The communication, signed by Rt Hon. Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, said the mission will be in Liberia from November 11 to 15 to gather the root causes of the impasse at the House of Representatives and its implications on the stability of the member State, and to engage with the key stakeholders to find a peaceful resolution of this impasse.
The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament also told Speaker Koffa that following the trip, the mission will propose concrete recommendations to the ECOWAS Authority, the Liberian Authorities, and all stakeholders with the view of maintaining political stability and cohesion in Liberia, a Member State.
Speaker Memounatou Ibrahima said as Speaker Koffa is the central figure related to the impasse at the House of Representatives, he was requesting for an opportunity with the embattled speaker to have a working visit with him and delegation to engage in frank and constructive discussions on this pertinent issue and to collectively arrive at an acceptable and amicable resolution to the matter at hand.
“Your kind cooperation and time would be greatly appreciated so that the delegation can meet the directives on the Chair of Authority,” he told Speaker House, and added that he was “leaning on Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe Jr, Head of the Liberian Delegation to ECOWAS Parliament, for support with all necessary arrangements in connection with the meeting”.
The ECOWAS Parliamentary Speaker used the communication to reflect on the fact that Liberia has recently recorded some impressive benchmarks in respect of consolidating the gains of the return of peace, security, and democratic systems in the member State particularly with the smooth transition of power in November 2023.
However, he noted, the present political impasse at play in the Liberian House of Representatives threatens to mar this collective community effort to maintain peace and security in a fragile region that is equally grappling with the aftermath of coups d’état in four Member States and the exit threats of three of the four.
“Consequently, it is based on this fragility that directives were issued by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his capacity as the current Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, to seek an immediate parliamentary resolution to this parliamentary crisis through the Community Parliament,” Memounatou Ibrahima said in the communication
He added; “Mr. Speaker, as Head of the Community Parliament, I am honoured to inform you that by virtue of the Supplementary Act relating to the Enhancement of the Powers of the ECOWAS Parliament adopted on 17 December 2016 by the ECOWAS Authority, the institution is empowered, to contribute to the promotion of Peace, security and stability in the West African region.”
“It is in this regard that the ECOWAS Parliament wishes to undertake a parliamentary mediation mission to Monrovia, from 11 to November 2024,” he said further. “The 5-member delegation on the mission will be led by me and includes two deputy Speakers and two floor Representatives.”
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