Monrovia – On Tuesday, October 30, members of the Legislature boycotted their annual recess, which should have taken them to January 2019, and returned to offices early. It is, however, unclear to some of them why they were being asked to reconvene when there are no emergency situations facing the nation, according to some.
Report by Henry Karmo, [email protected]
There are speculations, however, in the public on why the lawmakers were asked to hastily return on Capitol Hill to go into extraordinary sessions.
On Tuesday Senators spent hours behind closed door. One of them told this newspaper that they spent that many hours discussing why they had been called back prematurely from their break after some of them raised the concern of why they had been called back.
The few senators, who confided in FrontPageAfrica, said their leadership hadn’t told them what national emergency situation prompted their return.
When an extension is at the request of the Legislature, the proclamation shall be issued not later than 48 hours after receipt of the certificate by the President of Liberia.
The Constitution gives the President the authority to call a special or extraordinary session of the Legislature to discuss or act upon matters of national concerns.
In this instance, however, it is the lawmakers, who are calling themselves back from recess. So, what is the emergency for boycotting their constitutional recess? One of them very close to the leadership hinted anonymously to this newspaper that it is to accomplish a mission: impeach Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh, who is seen by some members of the ruling Coalition of Democratic Change (CDC) as being an obstacle to their whims or caprices on the Supreme Court Bench.
Article 32 Bof the Constitution states, “The President shall, on his own initiative or upon receipt of a certificate signed by at least one-fourth of the total membership of each house, and by proclamation extend a regular session of the Legislature beyond the date for adjournment or call a special or extraordinary session of that body to discuss or act upon matters of National Concerns.”
In the wake of these concerns from the public about the emergency that has prompted lawmakers’ return, after hours of closed door meeting, the confusion surrounding their return was brought up again in open session.
Trying to find some convincing answers to, especially Nimba County Senator Thomas Grupee, who wanted to know why they had been called back, Vice-President Jewel Howard Taylor, who presided over the session, response included among others that they had come back to look into the alleged missing L$16 billion banknotes and to also look into ratifying road financing agreement, from River Gee to Grand Gedeh Counties. The VP also told the senators that among their “emergencies” were going to hold talks on the Roberts International Airport (RIA) highway extension and the Waterside to St. Paul River Bridge.
To the surprise of many, Justice Ja’neh’s impeachment was not specifically mentioned by the VP.
Notwithstanding not saying a word on it, the agenda for Tuesday’s discussion had a very important item for discussion: the submission of the draft revised Senate Rule 63.
This draft Rule 63 is expected to lay down the procedure for the impeachment of Justice Ja’neh.
Upon receipt of the Impeachment Bill from the House of Representatives few weeks ago before they went on their recess, the Senate Plenary mandated its Judiciary Committee, headed by Senator Varney Sherman of Grand Cape Mount County, to revise the rule on impeachment.
The draft rule amongst other things call for a two third vote or entire Senate vote is needed for impeachment.
The Senate didn’t conclude on the matter and they went for their break.
As a matter of concerns some Senators including Thomas Grupee, Conmany Wesseh, River Gee, Oscar Cooper, Margibi and Daniel Naathan of Gbapolu Counties raised serious concerns about why such item had been included on the agenda.
Senator Wesseh raised issue of constitutional violation as he referenced the amendment of Senate Rule 63. According to him, the rule should not have been an issue for discussion because it violated the Constitution of Liberia as it relates to due process.
His assertions were denied by Senator Sherman, the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, that the only issue raised was that it was not properly presented.
As Sen. Sherman provided the clarity, one of his colleagues shouted across the floor, “We have serious matter in this country than people talking about amendment for impeachment. Why are we hiding behind 16 billion?”
“You guys think you can fool us? You listed many things that we had been called back to discuss and time to discuss them then you bring impeachment issue? another Senator shouted, too.
Meanwhile, President George Manneh Weah, in keeping with Article 67 of the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, has appointed His Honor J. Boima Kontoe as Ad-Hoc Justice to sit for the hearing and determination of a Writ of Prohibition in the matter brought on behalf of His Honor Kabineh M. Ja’neh, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Liberia – “Petitioner” versus The House of Representatives of the National Legislature, by and through its Speaker, Honorable Bhofal Chambers-“Respondents.”