Monrovia – The rotunda of the Capitol Building on Tuesday came alive when protesting Lawmakers of the House of Representatives calling for the recusal of Speaker Tyler hosted a press conference to release the list of members who have signed a resolution to have the Speaker suspended, recused himself or removed.
Report by Henry Karmo – [email protected]
During the conference, a list of 39 members of the House of Representatives was released to the media as representatives who want the Speaker to step aside to face investigation in the Global Witness bribery allegations.
On the list of Lawmakers include: Numene Bartekwa (chairman of the bloc), Emmanuel Nuquay, Munah E. Pelham-Youngblood, Samuel Korgar, Thomas Fallah, Acarous Gray, Edwin M. Snowe, Julius Berrian, Morais Waylee and Samuel Woleh.
Others include Richmond Anderson, Corpu Barclay, Adolph Lawrence, Christian Chea, Johnson Chea, Saah Joseph, Roland Cooper, Worlea Dunah, Henry Fahnbulleh, Edward Forh, Josephine Francis, Stephen Kafi, Jefferson Kanmoh, Edward Karfia, Mary Karwor, Jeremiah Koung, Eugene Kparkar, Gertrude Lamin, Jeremiah McCauley, Prince Moye, George Mulbah, Tokpah Mulbah, Robertson Siaway, Gabriel Smith, Richard Tingban, Ricks Toweh, Bill Twehway, Ballah Zayzay and Byron Brown.
Under huge tension, supporters perceived to be pro-Tyler supporters booed and jeered the Anti-Tyler bloc which led to them making request for police intervention, even though there wasn’t a tension that really required riot police.
The Anti-Tyler Lawmakers claimed that they were being treated like strangers in the Capitol Building.
“Tyler has locked all the conference rooms including the joint chambers. No water can safe him,” Representative Henry Fahnbulleh remarked.
Of the 39 names, three had withdrawn their earlier decision to sign the removal resolution, including Representatives Saah Joseph, Ricks Toweh, and Samuel Woleh.
Representative Joseph in an interview with FrontPageAfrica Tuesday described the inclusion of his name among the 39 as a wishful thinking.
“I have made my position clear; I have repeatedly said I am following my Party position. The CDC Executive committee has made its decision on this matter; and that is for all CDC Lawmakers to return to status quo ante and that is my position. I was in session today I am not part of any removal plot”, he said.
On Tuesday, August 9, 2016, a communication from Representative Ricks Toweh of Nimba County who is currently out of the country on medical check-up, stated his position to withdraw his signature from the resolution, calling on his colleagues to be pragmatic, realistic and objective.
Toweh’s Communication stated: “At that time, it was our considered opinion that the issue of indictment of Speaker Tyler jeopardized the integrity of the Honorable House; hence the legislature as the first Branch of Government, for which our signature were affixed on a document to ensure his recusal.
“However, some of our colleagues are trekking a different path, by opting for the ultimate removal of the Speaker. Where is the source of reliance?
Let us consider Articles 20(a) and 21(a) of the 1986 constitution of the Republic of Liberia and take note that burden of proof lies on the accuser.”
For his part, Worleh, who has been struggling with illness, said he was misled by Representative Samuel Korgar who he considers a smaller brother, to sign the resign the resolution, telling him it was an Independence Day bonus from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Losing legitimacy
In the resolution, among many things, the Anti-Tyler group claimed that Speaker Tyler has lost the legitimacy and popular consent to preside over the House of Representatives having being indicted and charged by the state with one or more criminal offenses arising out of his use and manipulation of his gavel for his personal and pecuniary aggrandizement and further engaging in acts to divide the Honorable House of Representatives to shield himself from the legal proceedings against him.
The resolution stated: “That criminal indictment hovering over Speaker Tyler has brought the entire House of Representatives to Public disrepute and undermines the office of the Speaker as the presiding officer and the 3rd person in succession to the presidency of our beloved country.
“That the Speaker and the chairman of his political party, who is also the Chairman of the Ways, Means and Finance Development Planning committee, have engaged in the action of budget manipulation and have made financial promises in an attempt to coerce and pressurize key actors to remain loyal to him.”
They accused the Speaker of denigrating his colleagues who have expressed disagreement with his “dictatorial leadership and refer to elected Representatives of the Liberian people as surrogates, forgetting that he is just primus inter pares (first amongst equals) by the free election of peers.”
“And in so declaring, we, the majority members of the Honorable House of Representatives of the 53rd Legislature having taken a solemn oath of office to protect and uphold the constitution and all other laws of the Republic of Liberia, call upon the Hon. J. Alex Tyler to immediately recuse himself as presiding officer.
“We also call on all those doing business and other activities with him to immediately halt and refrain from future transactions with him in the name of honorable House of Representatives.”
“We therefore call on the Liberian people to exercise understanding as this action is intended to enhance the work of the Honorable House of Representatives consistent with our constitution and principles of good governance,” the resolution stated.