EDITORIAL: Bracing for High Court Hearing of Koffa’s Bill of Information, Expecting Parties Scrupulously Heed Subsequent Clarifications
THE COUNTRY IS paralyzed, flabbergasted and tired. The political and legal conflict between two groups of lawmakers in the House of Representatives has brought so serious social and economic costs to the nation. This is why it gladdens us to hear that at long last, the Supreme Court is expected to do what it previously un-thoroughly did when it issued what many observers say was an ambivalent and controversial opinion in earlier hearings: the High Court is expected to hear the parties this Friday, March 14, once again on the matter, once again a protest, a Bill of Information, filed by the embattled Speaker, J. Fonati Koffa.
KOFFA, THROUGH HIS lawyers, filed a petition alleging that the “Majority Bloc” is found shrugging and violating the Supreme Court’s ruling of December 6, 2024, refusing to heed the Court’s edict which, amongst other things, described bloc’s gathering and activities as ‘ultra virus’ and asked parties to “go back to fix “their problem according to their rules. Koffa also contends that the misdemeanor is further fueled by the Justice Minister’s alleged violations of misinterpreting the Court’s legal opinion, falsely interpreting the Court’s opinion by declaring the activities of the Bloc lawful, something that has emboldened the riotous majority bloc to continue to usurp house functions. Koffa used the weight of the Bill of Information to request the country’s High Court to declare the actions of Majority Bloc leaders, including Speaker Richard N. Koon and Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, null and void.
EVERY WELL-MEANING Liberian is hopeful that the Friday, March 14, 2025 hearing of the Bill of Information will put the final nail on the coffin of House embroglio, not only that the Court will no longer allow the prolongation and arguments of both parties and promptly come out with the declaration of the final opinion, but also that the final verdict would bring decisive closure to the 9-month-old power struggle in the House of Representatives.
THE TIME TO put an end of the conflict, which many Liberians unanimously described as uncalled for and useless, is now. Said conflict has caused widespread national hate and bitterness amongst citizens along party parties, dangerously after the 2023 grueling general and presidential elections. Other catastrophic costs of the House imbroglio include damage to Liberia’s international image; the burning down of essential sections of the sacred Capitol Building; the virtual impairment of the First Branch of Government, currently doing little or nothing to uphold its three cardinal responsibilities; and the passage of an illegal, ‘4G-enacted’ national budget, amongst other things.
WE ARE THEREFORE strongly hopeful, this time around, that following the hearing of Koffa’s bill of information, not only would the High Court be more meticulous in penning its opinion, being ever clearer and comprehensive as to avoid controversy, but also that the parties, both the more coercive majority bloc and the court-centric minority bloc, would accept the emerging clarifications.
FOR GOD’S SAKE, the Supreme Court, that final arbiter of justice, also tagged the court of the last resort, would try as much as possible to de-controversialize its opinion, as least in these current matters, and that party litigants would succumb this time around. Liberia has got to move forward from the national governance stalemate the House imbroglio has caused, for these lawmakers are not only key actors in our democratic system, they are also the biggest consumers and beneficiaries of national cake. Over the last six months, these blocs, both majority and minority, have consumed in salaries and emoluments millions of offshore monies during the period with nothing substantive to show in terms of work.
FURTHERMORE, OUR country is far more divided and emotionally charged politically with rising grudges and bitterness seen for the first time in many decades, as a result of the situation on Capitol Hill. The time to deescalate is now, right now. Liberians are just tired with the extent to which the fruitless bickering has grounded the 55th National Legislature and by extension of Executive Branch and its official governing tributaries in doing the people’s work for which they were elected and appointed.
WE EXPECT NOTHING less!
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