THE LEGISLATURE IS the first branch of government given the constitutional mandate to enact all Laws; ratify treaties, conventions and other agreements on behalf of the republic. The constitution gives the Legislature so much power that in a worst case scenario where the body fails to perform to expectation, the entire county can become stagnant.
A CASE IN POINT WAS THE recent leadership impasse at the House of Representatives where the fight to have Speaker Alex J. Tyler recuse himself has led to delay in the passage of the National Budget and ratification of essential bills currently before the body.
WITH THE COUNTRY OPERATING A 12-month budget July 1 to June 30, the country has gone three months without a budget, with government ministries and agencies unable to implement major projects due to restrictions provided by the Public Financial management Law that prohibits spending outside an approved budget by the Legislature besides 1/12 of the budget of all entities allotted funding during the previous budget year.
LESS THAN TWO YEARS IN POWER, the current regime is sweating over how to complete some of the major infrastructural projects including construction of roads, bridges, and other projects because there is no expenditure outside and approved budget as per law.
THE LEGISLATIVE IMPASSE GREW to the extent that it clearly brought to light a hidden disagreement between the Executive and the Legislature on issues such as delays in ratification of proposed bills and other legislation, some submitted far back as 2013.
PRESIDENT ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF in her letter to Deputy Speaker Hans Barchue during the heat of the House of Representatives leadership crisis clearly stated that the Legislature is delaying development programs expressing her willingness to work with lawmakers that are willing to move the country forward.
SPEAKER ALEX TYLER DECLARED in his statement of recusal that President Sirleaf told Bomi County legislative caucus, stakeholders and other prominent citizens that she can no longer work with him as Speaker.
IN HIS OWN DEFENSE, SPEAKER TYLER declared that under his leadership the House of Representatives, he deemed some legislation not suitable for the country and the necessary interventions were made and in some cases, others are rejected.
“FOR OVER TEN YEARS, WHEN WE ratified several agreements and passed key legislations, we did so in the best interest of the country. Equally so, when we deem certain legislations not suitable for the country, the necessary interventions were made and in some cases, we painstakingly rejected. It is unfortunate and at best regrettable that the President would now see our latter action as being uncooperative and undermining her agenda”, said Speaker Tyler.
HERE THE SPEAKER DID NOT mention instances where the House of Representatives sought the input of the Liberian people through public hearing before rejecting some of the legislations he claimed were not suitable for the country.
AS ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF the people, normal legislative proceedings provide for the Legislature to conduct public hearings on bills and proposed legislations in order to seek the input of the general public before taking a decision, this the Speaker did not say was done with some of the bills that were rejected and deemed unsuitable.
NOW IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED that during the second term of the current regime from 2011 to current, out of a total of 97 proposed bills submitted by the Executive Branch of Government, the Legislature has not been able to ratify 27 of these proposed bills.
SOME OF THE BILLS STILL on the desk of the lawmakers are important ones such as legislations that will create jobs for the Liberian people and others intended to fight corruption.
A BILL TO AMEND THE 2008 Act of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission Granting Direct Prosecutorial Power which was submitted on May 22, 2013 is still on the desk of the lawmakers amid the talk of corruption and claims that the government lacks political will to fight the menace.
ALSO, AN ACT TO AMEND Title 17 of the Penal Code Laws of Liberia known as the Judicial Law of 1972 to provide for the establishment of the Corruption Court of Liberia submitted March 1, 2016 is yet to be ratified by the body when other newer proposed legislations have been acted on by the body.
EVERY LIBERIAN HOLDS the view that corruption is one of the root causes of the current under development of the country and also a contributing factor to the civil war but the lawmakers are failing to pass a law that will establish a special court to fight corruption.
THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION why a bill, such as the one to establish a corruption court, will be considered unsuitable, according to the statement from Speaker Tyler that the Legislature does not act on bills that are not suitable.
FINANCING AGREEMENTS AND other investment bills that will help to bring some relief to the Liberian people are all before the lawmakers. Some have been there for the last three to four years.
FINANCING AGREEMENT for the Youth Opportunity Project is currently before the Legislature and an Act to Ratify the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Liberia and the Government of the state of Qatar for the reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investment, submitted March 14, 2015 is also lying before the lawmakers.
OTHER INVESTMENT BILLS such as the Bill to Establish the Rubber Development Fund submitted June 20, 2014; bill to Ratify the Concession Agreement Between the Republic of Liberia and the Liberia Cocoa Corporation, submitted July 8, 2014; Mineral Development Agreement with Hummingbird Resources (Liberia), Inc. submitted November 23, 2015 are all before the lawmakers.
ANOTHER BILL, AMENDMENT to Mineral Development Agreement among the Government of the Republic of Liberia, Western Cluster Limited, Sesa Goa Limited and Bloom Fountain Limited is yet to make it on the floor of the Legislature
THE LAND RIGHTS Bill submitted November 26, 2014 and the Liberia Land Authority Bill submitted September 22, 2015 are also all on the desk of the lawmakers and in the wake of all the growing conflicts relating to land ownership, the Land Rights Bill is a major legal instrument to help tackle some of these numerous land related issues.
THESE ARE ALL major bills, if ratified by the Legislature, could help to bring relief to a struggling population.
HAVING 26 STALLED bills is an indication that the Legislature is negating its constitutional duties to the Liberian people especially when these bills are clearly in the interest of the Liberian people.