Monrovia – There is still no solutions yet in the leadership squabble at the House of Representatives as either of the sides still firm-clinching unto the leadership and declaring the other illegitimate.
Report by Henry Karmo – [email protected]
“Speaker Tyler will have to be careful, the lawmakers with the tongues of snakes, they will say, Speaker we will fight. In these critical times the only weapon you have to fight is to convince your colleagues to come on your side.
There is no way you can win with the minority. We’d the same experience with Honorable Snowe, I was on his side and when our number was reducing every day, I told him Honorable.
Snowe, look we do not have the number, so resign. One morning Snowe called the press and resigned, though painfully”- Rufus Neufville, former lawmaker, National Transitional legislative Assembly & 52nd Legislature
The debacle is now down to the numerical advantage as both sides are still claiming to have the majority, a major requirement for legislative proceeding.
On Tuesday, as expected there were two legislative sessions with one group led by Speaker Alex J. Tyler holding regular session with the Chief Clerk and the Sergeant-At-Arms in attendance, which the pro-Tyler bloc claimed as its legitimacy in addition to the number of lawmakers present.
Next door, the group dubbed the anti-Tyler bloc also conducted normal session, deliberating on communications written to the body by some lawmakers.
Physically, there were 32 lawmakers under the gavel of Speaker Tyler while the ‘majority’ bloc had 36 lawmakers present.
For the Speaker Tyler bloc, they claimed that there were six lawmakers who were not available based on genuine excuses-two sick and four distances summing the bloc’s number to 38 lawmakers which constitutes a quorum.
The opposing side is also claiming the numerical advantage contending that besides the 36 lawmakers present during Thursday’s session another four are away plus the Deputy Speaker Hans Barchue whom they are describing as the Speaker Pro Temp Pore summing their number to 41.
Thursday’s separate sessions had a joint total of 68 lawmkers-36 anti-Tyler lawmakers and 32 pro-Tyler lawmakers with five lawmakers away.
Lawmakers that were not present Thursday included Representatives Gabriel Nyenka (Unity Party, Montserrado County), Mariamu Fofana (Unity Party, Lofa County), Eugene Fallah Kparkar (Liberty Party, Lofa County) and Thomas Fallah (Congress for Democratic Change, Montserrado County).
Both sides are claiming the support of the five absence lawmakers.
On the resolution signed by the anti-Tyler bloc three of the five lawmakers who were not present Thursday have already signed the document calling for Speaker Tyler to recuse himself from presiding.
Representative Fallah, one of the ring leaders for the anti-Tyler campaign is out of the country but already signed the resolution before his departure while representative Kparkar who is also out of the country on medical trip is another known anti-Tyler lawmaker.
Lawmaker Nyenka has also signed the anti-Tyler resolution while Representative Fofana is the only lawmaker whose true support remains unknown even though from the initial stage of the debate she has been a strong supporter of Speaker Tyler.
Decisions taken
The anti-Tyler bloc during session took major decisions including a directive to communicate to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the Central Bank of Liberia placing a freeze on the bank account of the House of Representatives.
Acting on a motion from Representative George Mulbah (National Patriotic Party, Bong County), the anti-Tyler plenary resolved to communicate with the two institutions mandating that all transactions with the Speaker Tyler led leadership cease to exist.
The bloc also set up a committee to investigate Speaker Tyler and that committee is headed by Representative Byron J. Brown (Liberty Party, Grand Bassa County) who is currently the head of the Rules, Orders and Administration Committee of the House of Representatives.
Another communication from Representative Numene Bartekwa concerning the payment of fees by primary schools students from Grand Kru County was sent to committee room with a mandate for the committee to look into the entire recent mass failure of students in the West African examination Council (WAEC) exams.
The bloc has also requested the Minister of Information, Eugene Nagbe to appear before them to explain reasons for the recent wave of closure of media institutions.
Pro-Tyler decisions
During their session, the pro-Tyler bloc acting upon a communication from Representative Bhofal Chambers (Maryland County, Congress for democratic Change) mandated the Chief Clerk to invite the Minister of Education to appear the body and provide reasons for the mass failure of Liberian students in the recent WAEC exams.
The gathering also recommended amendment to Liberia Tax Code and later reverted to executive session.
Defiant Tyler-I will not recuse myself
Embattled Speaker Tyler has said, he will not recuse himself or resign as Speaker of the House of Representatives once the call for his recusal or removal is induced but did not say who is inducing the process.
At a news conference Thursday evening after another parallel session was held by members of the House of Representatives the embattled Speaker maintained that there is no law in the Liberian constitution or standing rules of the House of Representatives calling for recusal
“It is dangerous for our country, those who claim to be standing on moral grounds are doing the same things they are accusing others of doing. Nobody is going to frighten anyone; we are trying to avoid conflict. All of you know what is obtaining, I know you have to do your job but that needs to stop”, Speaker Tyler vowed.
He added: “We will go according to the constitution and law, you heard the tape and I am sure most of you know the voices you heard on the tape the other day that is clear.
This is our country we are not going to play games with it. I have been here 11 years if my colleagues say they cannot work with me for the remaining one year in a proper way I will give way but once it is induced and influenced I will not do so it will be a wrong precedent”.
Former lawmakers share experiences
Some former lawmakers who served the 52nd National Legislature, a body that was faced with the same situation of change of Speaker in similar fashion Thursday provided their experiences on the unfolding development.
Former Lawmaker Edwin Juah (Bong County) said: “We advised Hon. Edwin Snowe during our time that it was wise to join our colleagues in Virginia. I will like to advise our colleagues to see reason. The Liberian senate cannot proceed, we have an impasse, stagnation, it is not good for our country”.
The former lawmaker believes it is better for the good of the country for one of the parties to waive their rights for the sake of peace.
“One person has to waive their rights”, said former Representative Juah.
Another former lawmaker, Rufus D. Neufville is also advising that the Supreme Court may rule on procedure and not substantive issue suggesting that the side without the highest number should join the other.
“If your brother does not have the numbers advise him to recuse, or resign to do something. If Tyler has the number, than he is a brave soldier, if he does not have the number, let him resign. You need a certain number to render the Speaker illegitimate and you need another number to remove the Speaker”, former lawmaker Neufville added.
He says without quorum the House of Representatives cannot proceed.
“Speaker Tyler will have to be careful, the lawmakers with the tongues of snakes, they will say, Speaker we will fight. In these critical times the only weapon you have to fight is to convince your colleagues to come on your side.
There is no way you can win with the minority. We had the same experience with Honorable Snowe. I was on his side and I told Hon. Snowe, look we do not have the number, so resign. One morning Snowe called the press and resigned, though painfully”, said Neufville.
The former lawmaker said the Supreme Court cannot impose the Speaker.
Representative Worlea Dunnah said the ant-Tyler bloc whom he described as the legitimate bloc has communicated to the Executive and other stakeholders about their dealings.
“We have communicated with the Executive, judiciary, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and Central Bank informing them that Speaker Tyler is recused and Deputy Speaker Hans Barchue is the Speaker Pro tem Pore”, said lawmaker Dunnah.
The debacle has been ongoing for nearly two months and is stalling the normal operations of the National Legislature as a whole.