MONROVIA – The Liberian Senate has once again failed to reach an agreement on the confirmation of nominees appointed by President George Weah to serve as commissioners at the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC). The deadlock revolves around concerns related to a potential violation of the law that established the commission.
By Henry Karmo, [email protected]
On Wednesday, there was another impasse regarding whether the nominees meet the qualifications outlined in the LACC’s establishment law. Specifically, the debate centers on a clause that prohibits the appointment of two commissioners from the same county.
Some senators have expressed reservations about the timing of confirming these nominees, especially with national elections just a few months away. They argue that confirming the nominees before the election could pose a risk and are advocating for a delay until after the election results are determined.
Furthermore, certain senators, including Darius Dillon of Montserrado County and Johnathan Boye Charles-Sogboie of River-Gee County, have accused the President of violating Section 6.8 of the LACC act. This section explicitly prohibits having two commissioners from the same county. Additionally, the nominees have been accused of violating LACC regulations, which require their asset declarations to be made public before their confirmation.
Senator Dillon, the leading advocate against the confirmation, stated, “Today, as we are supposed to adjourn the 54th legislature, we have unresolved issues surrounding the LACC confirmation. We firmly believe that the laws we passed as an institution should be respected. The new LACC act designates the commission as the new repository for asset declarations and empowers them to penalize individuals for under-declaring. However, we haven’t witnessed the nominees fulfilling their obligation to declare their assets.”
“Furthermore,” Dillon added, “Section 6.12 of the new LACC act explicitly states that no two commissioners should hail from the same county. Our observation reveals that some of the nominees share the same county of origin. It is fundamentally incorrect to knowingly confirm these nominees to an institution entrusted with ensuring integrity within our country.”
The confirmation of LACC nominees remains in limbo, with no immediate resolution in sight as the Senate grapples with these contentious issues.
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