Monrovia – Since the indictment of two senior members of the 53rd National Legislature of Liberia, the first branch of government has seen distractions in the smooth operations of legislative activities with deliberations on major issues including the World Trade Organization (WTO) protocol languishing at the House of Representatives and Liberia nearing the end of the deadline to ascend to the WTO.
“You do not need to fear guilt to resign. The distraction on the work you have to do would be too much. If you love Liberia, you might just step aside”- Abdullai Kamara, President, Press Union of Liberia
Following the indictment of Speaker Alex J. Tyler and Grand Cape Mount County Senator Varney Sherman head of the Senate on Judiciary on multiple criminal offences including bribery, criminal facilitation and Criminal Conspiracy, both the House of Representatives and the Senate issued a joint statement demanding that the Presidential Task Force appointed by Presidential Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to probe the issue cease attacks on all Lawmakers.
One of the indicted- Speaker Tyler few days after his indictment presided over legislative session where the House of Representatives set up its own committee to probe the Global Witness report simultaneously as the court proceedings.
The Global Witness report has since taken a toll on the workings of the Legislature as some Lawmakers are opting for the resignation of Speaker Tyler and Senator Sherman.
A distracted legislature according to close followers of the Legislature has seen decline in the number of plenary and committee deliberations on major issues.
The deadline for Liberia’s accession to the WTO after the country took years fighting to reach the benchmarks is set for June 15 and the House of Representatives is yet to hold public hearing on the ratification of the country accession to the WTO, accordingly due to Lawmakers holding pocket meetings discussing the fate of Speaker Tyler.
Lawmakers including Samuel Kogar of Nimba County and Gabriel Smith of Grand Bassa County have taken the lead by demanding for Speaker Tyler to recuse himself from presiding over the body and it seems their attempt to oust Tyler is gaining momentum as more Lawmakers are weighing their support.
Just matter of time
Representative Acarous Gray (CDC-Montserrado County) told FrontPageAfrica Thursday that it is just a matter of time for Speaker Tyler to recuse himself from presiding, saying the Speaker should now be in jail.
Said Lawmaker Gray: “I know it is a matter of time speaker Tyler will recuse himself I can guarantee you. Tyler is indicted why if they put handcuff on his hands and he files a bond the bond is denied and he is placed behind bars like Gyude Bryant you expect him to preside over us?”
According to Lawmaker Gray it is possible for Speaker Tyler to go to jail like the case of the late former interim leader of Liberia, Charles Gyude Bryant who was sent to jail while facing trial on corruption charges.
“Anything is possible if Gyude Bryant can go to jail who cannot go to jail. If Taylor can be taken to the Hague and Acarous Gray handcuffed by the ruling establishment and taken to jail, Tokpah Mulbah former deputy speaker taken to court, nobody is above the law”, Representative Gray added.
He also says: “What I am saying is that the most honorable thing that the speaker can do and I fear no one, the speaker needs to recuse himself.”
“I know there are people with the speaker who wants him step down but are only waiting for the number. I know this will be a long winning battle. If he survives I say thank God for him”.
Another Lawmaker says the option to remove Speaker Tyler is still opened.
Representative Wesseh Blamo (UP-Grand Kru County) told FPA “Participating in impeachment activities is optional either the person agrees or don’t agree if they don’t the only thing you do is to find signatures to remove him. People who want Tyler to recuse himself should get the signatures needed for that”.
As the debate continues on the GW report, ordinary and prominent Liberians are calling on government officials accused in the report to resign their positions and face charges.
Honorable thing
For the Press Union of Liberia President Abdullai Kamara, stepping down is honorable and it is not the end to one’s life, posting on face book Page Thursday Kamara recounted the case of Dominique Strauss- Kahn.
Kamara wrote “You do not need to fear guilt to resign. The distraction on the work you have to do would be too much. If you love Liberia, you might just step aside”.
Kamara’s post generated comments from some well-meaning Liberians many of whom are in support for the accused government officials to step down.
Politicians fall, they sometimes arise from the ashes, Strauss-Kahn resigned from the IMF on 18 May 2011, after being arrested by NY police on 15 May over allegations of sexual assault. He was about to take off, when airport police asked that the plane be stopped, he was escorted off the plane and then interviewed by police. The case was later dismissed.
Since then, he served on the Board of Russian Regional Development Bank (2013–) and also accepted a similar position at the Russian Direct Investment Fund.
Liberians want Kahn situation
Another Liberian Lamii Kpargoi also wrote “Guess if Sherman and Tyler resign, they would have a lot of similar opportunities. Hope they take heed”.
Another Liberian thinks in a country where greed for power and wealth is high, it is a huge task for the accused to resign their positions even while they are in court.
Fredrick Gaye wrote “ In Liberia, hmmmm that person is yet to be born; power greed people in Liberia, prezo we don’t have politicians, but gravy seekers in Liberia. I will show you politicians when I grow”.
In separate interviews with ordinary Liberians, many are in support of the call for the two Lawmakers to resign and face the court.
Michael Wulu said: “I don’t see it as a problem because it is an allegation, it only an allegation is levied on those Lawmakers if there are found guilty than we can push for them to be taken from their posts, pushing them to resign or taking out of their posts is like they are guilty, which is not right”
Cyrus Reeves, a University Student wants Speaker Tyler and Senator Sherman to step down “for me it is not right for somebody like the Speaker who is serving in that high position to be linked to corruption and indicted and still serving as a Speaker, this is not right, it is true that it is alleged but based on allegation other leaders around the world have resigned.
“I want the Speaker to resign or be removed from his post, I believe by the Speaker occupying that position he can manipulate this case. I’m calling on the Speaker to step down from his post, my call to the Legislature is that the Speaker should be suspended until the case is over, for Senators to be involved in corruption and still going to work and collecting tax payer money is not right”.
Emmanuel James, another Liberian said: “Since Speaker Tyler is found in this corruption saga, he should step down as a Speaker and go through the trial.
If he’s not guilty he can go back to his position, Senator Sherman should also step down from whatsoever committee he heads, those guys have squandered funds they should not be in power enjoying our money, Tyler and Sherman should move from the positions they occupy, you cannot have a Speaker facing trial it says a lot, it is not prudent”
Some see the situation as a test for the country’s justice system.
Dixon Nebo said “The Justice system is on trial, the best thing for the both of them to do is to be removed from their respective positions and submit themselves to the court process.”
“I think if they still preside and go to court, his position would be a factor that could play in favor of him so for me they should resign, the best thing for them is to leave their positions and go to court, I know that there is no law but for expediency sake it is important that the both of them be removed from their respective positions”.
As the debate goes on, Liberia is losing quality time that should be directed by Lawmakers towards making sound decisions in the interest of the county on distractions from the Global Witness report and the indictment of two key Lawmakers.
The WTO deadline is just less than two weeks away and Liberia is now caught between the scissors on losing out of the opportunity.