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Monrovia – Last week, President George Manneh Weah issued a directive, calling on all of his officials contemplating contesting seats in the upcoming Senatorial by-elections to resign their post within 30 days. The directive is throwing the spotlight on a number of officials rumored to be eyeing a return to the national legislature.
Report by Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]
Speculations have been in the air for months that both Gbezohnga Findley, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emmanuel Nuquay, head of the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority have set their sights on returning to the legislature.
Findley was the former Senate Pro Temp while Nuquay is a former Speaker of the House.
In his directive last week, President Weah said the decision is in keeping with government’s policy of strict adherence to the law, and for the purpose of coordination and maximum productivity. “All officials appointed by the President of Liberia pursuant to Article 56 of the Liberian constitution and all civil servants covered by the Article 56 of the Liberian constitution and all civil servants covered by the Code of Conduct(COC) are directed to adhere to the stipulation of the COC regarding requirements for public officials ahead of the 2020 midterm elections.”
The directive continued: “As you are aware, Chapter 5.2 of the Code of Conduct – which intent was addressed by the Honorable Supreme Court prior to the 2017 elections – prescribes that anyone intending to contest for a political office shall not continue to hold on to said public office. Therefore, all officials and civil servants covered by this category are hereby required to resign their positions within 30 days of the issuance of this Presidential Directive.”
12 Senators Eyeing Reelection
At least 12 Senators, have expressed interest in seeking re-election. They include Senators Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence (Grand Bassa), Dan Morais (Maryland), Peter Coleman (Grand Kru), Matthew Jaye (River Gee), Henry Yallah (Bong), Thomas Grupee (Nimba), George Tengbeh (Lofa), Sando Johnson (Bomi), Armah Jallah (Gbarpolu), Oscar Cooper (Margibi), Dallas Gweh (River Cess), Augustus Chea (Sinoe) and Alphonso Gaye (Grand Gedeh).
Montserrado County Senator-elect, Darius Dillon is also expected to seek reelection come 2020. Meanwhile, the vacancy created by the death of Edward Dagoseh (Grand Cape Mount County) is yet to filled and, if by-election is held and there is a winner, winner will also most likely be seeking reelection in 2020.
FrontPageAfrica has learned that Mr. Findley has reportedly notify President Weah of his intentions to run and is expected to resign his post in the coming days. It is still unclear whether Mr. Nuquay intends to do the same – or has already done so. Attempts by FrontPageAfrica to get a response from both men have come up empty.
Should Mr. Findley resign, it is unclear which party, he will run on.
The current Foreign Minister resigned from the former ruling UP on August 4, 2017, declaring that he and the party no longer shared the same political ideology.
Few days later, on August 16, 2017, Mr. Findley announced his intention to join the Coalition for Democratic Change, throwing his support behind Mr. Weah.
Mr. Findley and Mr. Weah jointly campaigned for the 2017 presidential election in Grand Bassa County, where where Findley served as senator for nine years.
Mr. Findley, the son of the late attorney, Joseph Henry Findley, and Gertrude Findley, should he decide to contest will face stiff competition from the incumbent Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, who he lost to Counsellor Joseph Henry Findley was a respected member of Liberian legal and political society as a circuit court judge and later, Senator of Grand Bassa County.
Findley attended primary school at Buchanan Demonstration Elementary School in Buchanan City and St. Peter Lutheran School in Monrovia. He graduated from William V.S. Tubman High School in Monrovia.
Educated abroad, Findley has a Master of Science Degree from Lund University in Lund, Sweden and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Franklin University in Ohio, USA. As a student in the USA he served as President of the Association of Liberians in Columbus.
FrontPageAfrica has learned that Mr. Findley has reportedly notify President Weah of his intentions to run and is expected to resign his post in the coming days. It is still unclear whether Mr. Nuquay intends to do the same – or has already done so. Attempts by FrontPageAfrica to get a response from both men have come up empty.
Abandoned UP for CDC
On January 22, 2018, Gbehzohngar Milton Findley was nominated as Minister of Foreign Affairs, one day after President George Manneh Weah was sworn-in as the 25th President of the Republic of Liberia.
Findley received confirmation by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs on January 26, 2018 with a release of the report to plenary stating, “In consonant with the findings of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 54th Legislature, and after scrupulous consultations with key stakeholders, former and current diplomats and administrative experts, the committee is pleased to herein recommend to the full plenary of the Senate to unanimously confirm nominee Findley, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liberia”.
Findley lost his Senate seat in the December 20, 2014 Special Senatorial Election to Liberty Party’s Jonathan Kaipay, who tallied 16,296 votes for 57.4 percent to Findley’s 10,306 votes for 36.3 percent.
Mr. Findley’s potential entry into the race could see him face off against Senator Karnga-Lawrence, who in 2014, overcame an early surge by her closed rival, the Independent Candidate Daniel Chea to become the county’s Junior Senator.
Nuquay Undecided?
Mr. Nuquay, the former speaker of the House, relinquished his seat in the lower house when he agreed to be the running mate to former vice president Joseph Boakai in the 2017 presidential elections. Now, he’s hoping to challenge the incumbent, Oscar Cooper.
The county’s other Senator, Jim Tornolah, People’s Unification Party(PUP), elected in 2015 is not up for election until 2023.
Under the original 1847 Constitution, senators served a term of four years without term limits. The term length was increased to six-year by constitutional amendment in 1904. The draft 1985 Constitution set the terms of senators at eight years, though the length was changed to nine years by the military government prior to its ratification.
Senatorial terms have been staggered under both constitutions, with two classes of senators being elected in alternating election years. The 2005 Senate elections reinstated this method, with each voter able to cast two ballots for separate candidates. The candidate with the highest number of votes was elected as a First Category senator, serving a nine-year term, followed by-elections in 2014. The candidate with the second-highest number of votes became a Second Category senator, serving an exceptional six-year term, followed by elections in 2011 for a normal nine-year term. Since 2011 elections are staggered whereby each county elects one senator (2011-2020), then another senator three years later (2014-2023) followed by a six-year period in which no senators are elected (no half senate elections in 2017).
In the event of a senator’s death, resignation, ascension to a disqualifying office, incapacity or expulsion prior to the completion of his or her term, the Senate is required to notify the elections commission within 30 days of the vacancy. The NEC then carries out a by-election within 90 days of such notification to fill the vacancy. Senators elected in a by-election only serve the remainder of their predecessor’s term.