Monrovia-Following the Supreme Court ruled, mandating them to return to status quo-anti, members of the House of Representatives on Thursday held its first successful session without incident.
The Supreme Court ruling was prompted by a complaint filed by Representatives Edwin Snowe, who challenged the decision of Speaker Tyler to conduct session without roll call in for a period of month, began from June 2, and was expected to last until July 2, 2016.
The decision to maintain the number of lawmakers present in session as a quorum for the one month period, June 2 to July 2 was based on a motion made by Representative George Mulbah of Bong County, reasoning that a large number of representatives had been excused to attend various committees’ functions during period under review.
Thursday’s session was however attended by 48 members of the House which amounted to the number of legislators (two thirds of the 73 lawmakers needed to constitute a quorum for the day.
The Supreme Court’s ruling, upholding Snowe’s petition, terming the speaker’s action a violation of the constitution, came into effect after the House has almost exhausted the month long quorum suggested by Representative Mullah.
The House of Representatives was meanwhile restrained from doing its regular business on Tuesday June 21, 2016 due to a prohibition Writ from the Supreme Court prayed for by Representative Snowe.
In the Petition for a writ of Prohibition given BriG/General Amos B. Kesseh Dickson, SR Marshal, Supreme Court of Liberia for onward submission to the honorable chief clerk of the House of Representatives, the court commended him (SR Marshal Dickson) to notify Speaker Tyler, Presiding officer of the House of Representatives to show cause why petitioner’s petition as prayed for should not be granted.
The writ reads: “You are further commended to instruct the Respondents that the stay order is hereby reinstated; that the parties are mandated to return to status quo ante, that is, before the motion of June 2, 20166, suspending roll calls and allowing the number and members present at the June, session of the House of Representatives to constitute a quorum for one month June 2, 2016 to July 2, 2016.”
In the writ of Prohibition the court also mandated the House of Representatives to instruct the respondent herein to file their returns to the writ in the office of the clerk of the Honorable court on or before the 30th day of June, A,D, 2016.
Speaker Alex Tyler has been under immense pressure from some of his colleagues who want him recuse himself from presiding over session because of his indictment by the Presidential Task Force headed by Cllr. Fonati Koffa for his involvement in the Global Witness report which named several senior officials of Government with bribery.
Tyler remains adamant and has challenged the legality of the Taskforce and the accusations. He and his supporters have repeatedly said, there is no constitutional provision that demands him to step aside when he is accused.