Monrovia – Representative Edwin Melvin Snowe of Bomi County has questioned the decision by Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor to boycott the opening ceremony of the 3rd session of the 54th Legislature because of disagreement.
In an exclusive interview with FrontPageAfrica, the experienced Liberian lawmaker and politician believes that boycotting a constitutional requirement as was done by the Vice President wasn’t the right thing to do because it sends out the wrong message to other public workers, who are below her status in position.
“Boycotting a constitutional requirement wasn’t the right thing to do; it’s like telling civil servants to stay home for not being paid for two months. The only message you are sending out there is civil servants who haven’t been paid should stay home.
“The Vice President needs to double up, she is the second most powerful person in the country. She cannot continue to cry baby; she needs to take her responsibility seriously. She is the President of the Senate.”
“Go to the Senate and do your work if you start to kick butts at the Senate, there people will know we have a Vice President who needs to be respected, stop crying baby. In a democracy where the President cannot fire the VP, you two need to work together.”
– Edwin Melvin Snowe, Representative, Bomi County District 1
Snowe, who is a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, believes that the Vice Presidency over the years has relinquished too much powers to the Pro-Temp making the Pro-Temp the “second most powerful person” in the Legislature.
“I have known the Vice President for many years; she is a highly educated woman and a goal getter. But I think in this case, she needs to double up and do her job and stop crying baby. At the legislature most of the time, we buy our own stationeries.”
Rep. Snowe, however, commended the Vice President for the bold steps taken last week to preside over session in the Senate.
“That’s the Vice President we want to see. Your job is to aid the President in the discharge of his duties, the only constitutional power given you is the President of the Senate that’s a right given her by the constitution.
“Go to the Senate and do your work if you start to kick butts at the Senate, there people will know we have a Vice President who needs to be respected, stop crying baby. In a democracy where the President cannot fire the VP, you two need to work together.
“It is not in the interest of the VP and the nation and the President and for any public official who may want to disrespect the Office of the VP. This can only be based on inexperience because whenever the President and the Vice President are having issues in every democracy, officials should not get involved because by the time you start to take side, you will get burn in the process.”
He frowned on a radio personnel, who uses the air waves to rain insults on the VP. Rep. Snowe also frowned on the Deputy Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), whose radio station is aiding such act. “The journalist insults the Vice President daily on the radio station owned and operated by the Deputy Director of the NSA. The last thing public official will do is to dwell on gossip. In every society there will be gossip but these attitudes don’t take us anywhere. Disagreement in politics are not personal.”