LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS in the lower house of the National Legislature in Liberia has been sidetracked of late with two separate factions scheming over the fate of their embattled leader, House Speaker Alex Tyler.
SPEAKER TYLER IS among several current and former officials at the centre of a massive corruption scandal who have been charged with “economic crimes” along with London-based Sable Mining.
THE LONDON-BASED Watchdog group, Global Witness alleged in a recent report that Cllr. H. Varney Sherman, former head of the ruling Unity Party orchestrated a vast political patronage network based on bribery on behalf of Sable Mining.
SABLE, CO-FOUNDED BY former England international cricketer Phil Edmonds, between 2010 and 2012, as it sought to gain a foothold in the country’s lucrative iron ore industry.
BOTH SHERMAN, TYLER and many of those charged in the scandal have denied the allegations. Global Witness alleged that Sable’s bribes were mostly been paid out by Sherman, totaling $960,000 (860,000 euros).
TYLER WHO STEPPED down from the ruling Unity Party last year and formed his own party, the People Democratic Party of Liberia (PDPL), is listed as receiving a bribe worth $75,000 in the report in a bid to get the Sable-friendly legislation through parliament”, the Global Witness report alleged, with changes that included relaxing laws on the tender process.
THE SIDE DISTRACTION of the saga which is expected to go to court next week has been troublesome for the embattled speaker’s image and even more troubling for the workings of the national legislature which has seen a number of legislative agenda items take a backseat to the sideshow of the uproar over whether or not to remove Speaker Tyler from office.
IN THE PAST FEW DAYS multiple reports and variations have put the fate of Mr. Tyler on the verge of peril.
THIS WEEK, at least four Lawmakers wrote communications withdrawing their signatures after initially signing the resolution pushing to oust the Speaker. The four Lawmakers including Saah Joseph, Samuel Woleh, Richmond Anderson and Morias T. Waylee all stated separate reasons for their decisions but one common concept stressed by all was unity.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPH HAS been labelled a disappointment by some of his peers. “This is deception and Representative Saah Joseph is one CDC Lawmaker I respect a lot. I am not only disappointed in him but that is a deception because he told the Party leadership that he did not sign any document — so to come back and say he is withdrawing his signature — that is a deception and I think the CDC needs to take action”, remarked Representative Moses Acarous Gray (CDC-District #8 Montserrado County during a call in to the Bumper Show Monday.
THE UPROAR IN THE LOWER house has prompted allegations and speculations that monies are being thrown around by the embattled speaker to change the tide in his favor leading some of his peers, including Rep. Gray to issue caution against Speaker Tyler not to give money to Lawmakers for support because, in his words, he has lost legitimacy.
AS A RESULT of the rigmarole, some thirty-three members of the lower house boycotted legislative proceedings Monday in the wake of the controversies surrounding the removal of Speaker Tyler.
THIS BOYCOTT WAS preceded by a meeting held at the home of deputy speaker Hans Barchue during which some Lawmakers launched a campaign to have the Speaker recuse himself from legislative proceedings.
WHILE SPEAKER TYLER did go ahead and preside over a session with 34 members present, the ongoing controversy is keeping the body from doing the work of the people for which they were elected.
From the look of things Speaker Tyler numbers have severely dwindled. The opposition has nearly 40 members while during the last two sessions the Speaker presided over 33 Lawmakers showing that the group opposing the Speaker has more numbers.
THIS IS WHY we feel strongly that Speaker Tyler owes it to his constituents and the people of Liberia to step aside from the legislative proceedings as trial into the allegations against him and his peers get underway.
IT WILL NOT LOOK GOOD for Liberia’s image and that of the lower house to see a sitting speaker of the lower house sitting on a prisoners’ bench in court and returning to work as presider of the legislative body.
LIBERIA DESERVERS better and Speaker Tyler must do the right thing to save face and embarrassment for him, his family and his constituents.