-As Minority Bloc Dismisses It As Mere Bluff
By Jerromie S. Walters
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives of Liberia, led by the Majority Bloc, announced a Reconciliatory Retreat under the theme of unity, Integrity, and Modernization. Scheduled for March 13-15, 2025, at the Farmington Hotel in Margibi County, the retreat aims to stimulate unity and collaboration among lawmakers. However, the initiative has been overshadowed by the Majority Bloc’s recent actions, which many argue have deepened divisions rather than healed them.
The retreat, intended to reconcile the House after months of leadership turmoil, appears to have lost its essence. On the same day the retreat was announced, the Majority Bloc voted to suspend Montserrado County District 10 Representative, Yekeh Kolubah, for 30 session days without pay or benefits. This decision, coupled with the ongoing suspension of seven other lawmakers—Abu Kamara, Marvin Cole, Frank Saah Foko, Edward Papie Flomo, Eugene Kollie, Alex Noah, and Zinnah Norman—has tossed doubt on the sincerity of the bloc’s reconciliatory efforts.
A Retreat or a Pretense?
The Rule of Law Caucus, a vocal minority faction within the House, has already declared its refusal to attend the retreat. Montserrado County District 16 Representative Dixon Seboe, the caucus spokesman, dismissed the event as a “mere pretense,” accusing the Majority Bloc of using the retreat as a cover-up for its arbitrary and divisive actions. Seboe emphasized that the caucus would not participate in what it views as a hypocritical attempt to mask the bloc’s role in exacerbating the House’s internal conflicts.
The leadership crisis, which began on October 17, 2024, when some lawmakers moved to remove Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa over several allegations, has left the House deeply polarized. The controversial election of Richard Nabge Koon as Speaker on November 21, 2024, further fractured the legislative body, with Koffa’s supporters denouncing the process as fraudulent and illegitimate.
Supreme Court Ruling and Executive Endorsement
The crisis reached a critical juncture in early December 2024 when the Supreme Court of Liberia ruled that the Majority Bloc’s actions during the leadership standoff were “ultra vires” (beyond their legal authority) if they deviated from the intent of Articles 33 and 49 of the Constitution. Despite this ruling, both the Executive Branch and the Liberian Senate endorsed the Majority Bloc’s actions on December 10, 2024, further entrenching the divide.
The situation also escalated on February 11, 2025, when the Majority Bloc forcibly evicted Speaker Koffa from his office. Led by Bong County Representative James Kolleh, the eviction involved breaking into the Speaker’s office and removing his personal belongings—a move widely condemned as a theatrical and unnecessary provocation.
A Retreat at Odds with Reality
The Reconciliatory Retreat, which boasts distinguished guests such as Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, and Hon. Ibrahim Rassin Bundu, Majority Leader of Sierra Leone’s Parliament, is intended to highlight the importance of unity in strengthening democracy and upholding the rule of law. However, the Majority Bloc’s recent actions have raised questions about its commitment to these principles.
The Liberia Council of Churches, a key stakeholder in the retreat, has yet to comment on the apparent contradiction between the event’s stated goals and the Majority Bloc’s divisive tactics. Meanwhile, the Rule of Law Caucus has reiterated its stance, condemning the suspension of Rep. Kolubah and other lawmakers as unconstitutional and a violation of their rights to free speech and expression.
Suspended Lawmakers Seek Justice
The suspended lawmakers, who belong to the Minority bloc, have taken their case to the Supreme Court, seeking a writ of mandamus to compel the Minister of Finance and the Comptroller of the Legislature to release their unpaid salaries and benefits. They argue that their suspension and the withholding of their compensation are politically motivated and lack legal justification.
