Capitol Building – The House of Representatives has overwhelmingly cast a ‘vote no confidence’ in Ambassador at Large Sheikh Al-Moustafa Kouyateh following what lawmakers described as repeated attacks on the integrity and authority of the House and by extension the Legislature.
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
The decision was triggered by a communication by Grand Bassa County Electoral District 2 Representative, T. Clarence C. Banks in which he reported a latest outburst by the Ambassador when he appeared at OK FM recently.
Our legislative reporter says the communication was followed by a brief plenary decision before a motion was proffered by Sinoe County District 1 Representative Thomas Romeo Quioh and awesomely voted for by plenary – 36 for, none against and no abstention.
The motion, introduced by Sinoe County District 1 Representative Quioh during plenary, called for the Legislature to formally express its lack of confidence in Ambassador Kouyateh and notify President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of its unwillingness to engage with him in any official capacity concerning the business of the House.
In his motion, Rep. Quioh said the action was prompted by public allegations made by Ambassador Kouyateh accusing members of the Legislature of corruption, particularly in relation to the approval and granting of concession agreements.
Rep. Quioh, maintained that lawmakers, in the interest of transparency and accountability, invited the Ambassador at Large to appear before plenary to substantiate his claims; hence, Ambassador Kouyateh subsequently appeared before lawmakers accompanied by the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and the President’s Senior Legal Advisor.
During the appearance, he recalled, Ambassador Kouyateh acknowledged the inappropriateness of his remarks and offered an apology to the Legislature and as such, following the apology, plenary directed him to issue the same apology through the same public platform on which the allegations were originally made to ensure the correction received equal public attention.
However, instead of complying with the directive, Ambassador Kouyateh later appeared on OK FM, where he allegedly made further disparaging remarks about the Legislature.
The Sinoe County lawmaker argued that the Ambassador’s actions demonstrated “clear disregard for the authority, dignity, and institutional integrity” of the Legislature and warranted a firm response from the House.
“The Legislature cannot remain silent when its institutional integrity is subjected to repeated attacks by a public official who has failed to substantiate his allegations and has instead chosen to intensify his offensive conduct,” Rep. Quioh said in his motion.
The motion cited several grounds for the vote of no confidence, including what lawmakers described as a blatant disregard for the authority of the Legislature, conduct unbecoming of a senior public official, a breach of the mutual respect expected among the three branches of government, and actions capable of undermining public confidence in democratic institutions.
As part of the resolution, the House agreed to formally notify the Office of the President of its decision and request that appropriate administrative action be taken to preserve cordial relations between the Executive and Legislative branches of government.
The resolution further mandates that copies be transmitted to the Office of the President, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other relevant government institutions.
Following deliberations, plenary overwhelmingly endorsed the motion with head-counts as each lawmaker raised his/her hand in affirmation of the decision.
