MONROVIA – Senate Pro-Tempore Albert Chie, on behalf of the Senate, has congratulated President-elect Joseph Nyumah-Boakai and Vice President-elect Senator Jeremiah Kpan-Koung for their victory as Liberia’s next President and Vice President but cautioned them about the need to prioritize forming a government of inclusion. In his statement at the resumption of legislative work of the Liberian Senate, he said the competitive nature of the Presidential elections shown by the final results demonstrates the importance of forming a government of inclusion, with a significant number of appointed positions going to the CDC, which ended up with a whopping 49.36% of the final votes. This, he believes, will be a prudent way to help in national reconciliation.
Speaking on behalf of the Liberian Senate at the resumption of the final sitting of the sixth Session of the 54th Legislature, Senate Pro-tempore Albert Chie used the occasion to express thanks and appreciation to President George Weah for conceding defeat, something which safeguarded the country from creeping tension and violence. The Senate Pro-tempore also commended the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC) and other members of the board of Commissioners for the peaceful conduct of the just-ended Presidential and Legislative Elections.
“The role of local and international observers and especially the support of the International Community did not go unnoticed in the Senate Chambers by Protemp Chie.”
He has also recommended to the President and Vice President-elect to design and implement policies to heal the nation, which, according to him, sustained wounds by the rigors and rhetoric of the electoral process, resulting in what he calls an evenly divided country that witnessed an almost 50-50 Presidential Election result.
Elections for Speaker and Pro-temp
The Pro-temp also said that now that the Legislative and Presidential elections are almost over, the national focus has now turned to the processes that will lead to the final election of officers and other leaders of the Legislature, most especially that of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and President Pro-tempore of the Senate. He has urged colleagues to first negotiate the leadership positions as the first resort and that a full-fledged competitive election should be the last option.
In keeping with the legislative calendar, the Senate will be in session until Friday, December 8, to continue work and deliberation on the agenda items they previously agreed upon and other items that may surface from the Senate floor or the executive branch. The Legislature is expected to return on January 15, 2024, in line with Article 32 of the Liberian constitution to begin the first session of the 55th Legislature and get ready to participate in the inauguration of the next President on January 22, 2024, in line with Article 50. The President will present his legislative agenda for the year to the legislature on January 29.