Opposition Clinch More Senate Seats -“The Era of Rubber stamped Legislature is over” – Pundit Claims

The just ended midterm senatorial election has left the Liberian opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) strongly positioned in the Liberian senate, occupying 14 seats, mostly in vote-rich regions of the country. Political pundits have conjectured that with the opposition controlling both seats in strategic counties like Lofa, Bong and Bassa Counties, as well as other sparsely populated regions like River Gee and Cape Mount, the resultant impact of their voices in the Upper House, when combined with a heavyweight region like Montserrado, should make Liberians to see a reinvigorated Senate morphing out of its rubber stamp cocoon.

In Montserrado County, the stronghold of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), opposition CPP candidate Senator Abraham Darius Dillon of the Liberty Party retained his seat; while in Grand Bassa County, incumbent CPP lawmaker Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence of the Liberty Party also retained her seat, to be well situated with her colleague CPP Liberty Party senator Jonathan L. Kaipay.

In Bong County, Prince K. Moye of the Unity Party joined his colleague lawmaker Dr. Henrique Tokpa, also of the Unity Party, in the Senate.

Newcomer Simeon B. Taylor of the Alternative National Congress has joined incumbent Unity Party lawmaker Varney Sherman at Capitol Hill; while J. Brownie Samukai of the Unity Party joins Steve Zargo of the Liberty Party at the Senate representing Lofa County.

In River Gee, the Alternative National Congress frontman, Jonathan B. Sogbie, popularly known as “Boye Charles” during his Lone Star soccer playing heydays, joins ranks with Senator Conmany Wesseh at the Senate representing River Gee.

Other CPP lawmakers at the Senate include Morris G. Saytumah of the Unity Party in Bomi and Daniel F. Naatehn of the ANC for Gbarpolu.

“With the increase in opposition lawmakers, we should expect to see lesser of a rubber stamp senate and more lawmakers driven by ethics. We saw how the presence of one man, Darius Dillon, improved the senate, to the extent that more bad deals starting coming to light. It was in fact the opposition lawmakers that exposed the lies and perjury committed by Cllr. Ndubuisi Nwabudike,” says James Seitua, a self-styled political commentator resident in the Diaspora.

According to Mr. Seitua, going forward, Liberians should expect a revamped legislature, especially at the House of Elders, that will set the pace for the Lower House to become more transparent and occupy their time judiciously serving the Liberian people.

“It’s just a matter of time. And time isn’t on the side of the ruling party and their representatives at the legislature. They must shape up or shape out in 2023,” Mr. Seitua told this paper.