MONROVIA– The incoming ruling Unity Party (UP) has withdrawn its petition of Declaratory Judgement filed against the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa.
By Selma Lomax [email protected]
The party submitted the declaratory judgment petition at the Civil Law Court Monday, challenging the eligibility of Speaker Koffa to hold his position.
It contends that the Grand Kru lawmaker was ineligible following claims that he holds a U.S. citizenship.
In the petition filed by and through its National Chairman, Rev. Luther Tarpeh, and National Secretary-General Amos Tweh, the party also prayed that the election of Cllr. Koffa as Representative of Electoral District #2 in Grand Kru County be nullified based on his alleged failure to comply with Article 4 Section 1 of the Act To Amend And/Or Nullify Certain Provisions of The Aliens and Nationality Law Relating To Citizenship.
However, FPA has cogently learned that though the petition was filed before the court, but said petition was never served Speaker Koffa.
FrontPageAfrica also gathered that the outgoing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) was planning a similar petition against the newly elected President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Sen. Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, of Grand Bassa County.
The CDC was claiming that Senator Karnga Lawrence holds a U.S. citizenship, thus disqualifying her to serve as Pro-Tempt of the Senate.
There have also been reports around Monrovia that Speaker Koffa was planning on boycotting the swearing into office of President elect, Joe Boakai, had the court served him the petition.
Koffa’s reported planned action would have undermined the entire inaugural ceremony, considering the importance and constitutionality of his presence at said ceremony.
Many Liberians condemned the petition filed by the Unity Party, terming it as a witch-hunt and undemocratic of a government that has not yet assumed state power.
The withdrawal of the petition does not squarely indicate that the battle is over, as anything could still persist after the party had taken state power in the next few days.
