Liberia News: ‘A Betrayal’

Liberia-Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah who is an executive member of the former ruling Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) has been heavily criticized by the Acting Chairman of the party describing his move to the self-style Majority Bloc seeking the removal of House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa as a betrayal of party unity.

Acting Chairman Janga Kowo, has strongly condemned Deputy Speaker Fallah and other CDC lawmakers who have aligned themselves with the faction in the House of Representatives seeking to unseat Speaker J. Fonati Koffa.

Kowo condemned the move as a betrayal of party unity and accused the ruling Unity Party (UP) government, led by President Joseph Boakai, of exerting undue influence over CDC members.

“The CDC strongly condemns Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah and other CDC lawmakers who have disobeyed the CDC National Executive Committee and His Excellency President George Manneh Weah to go against Speaker J. Fonati Koffa,” Kowo stated. He further alleged that these actions were “clearly influenced by the Joseph Boakai government and intended to destabilize the CDC.”

Deputy Speaker Fallah on Thursday yielded to the call of the ‘majority bloc’ to join them in their parallel sessions or risk being removed as Speaker. On Thursday, the Deputy Speaker presided over the session held by the breakaway group.

Fallah said his decision to join ranks with the “majority bloc” in the House-a coalition that has voiced grievances against Speaker Koffa, accusing him of breaching ethical standards and misappropriating funds-was not a rejection of his loyalty to the CDC or Speaker Koffa. He argued that he was compelled by duty to ensure that the House functions smoothly.

“My decision to join the call for resolving this deadlock is not a repudiation of my support for Speaker Koffa or the CDC. Instead, it is a demonstration of my unwavering commitment to our democracy, which must transcend any one individual or faction,” Fallah explained, adding that he had consulted widely before making this choice. “In my 19 years with the CDC, I have never betrayed my party, and I do not intend to do so now.”

Fallah clarified that he did not initiate the campaign to remove Speaker Koffa but felt obligated to listen to the concerns of his colleagues, citing his responsibility under the Rules and Procedures of the House and the Liberian Constitution. “It is not a choice against my party or the Speaker, whom I continue to respect and support. I cannot ignore my responsibility to act when the legislative body is at a standstill, and the functioning of the national government is at risk,” he asserted.

Despite Deputy Fallah’s clarification CDC Acting Chairman Kowo accused the Boakai administration of undermining the democratic process by manipulating the legislative body, warning that these developments reflect a dangerous trend in Liberian politics.

“These developments speak to the wider threat to Liberian democracy where an overbearing executive can interfere with the function of the other two branches, thereby undermining checks and balances,” he noted. Kowo went further to assert, “The evidence is clear that the UP government is undemocratic and has gone against every facet of the rule of law.”

Acting Chairman Kowo indicated that the CDC is monitoring the situation closely and will consider its next steps in response to what he described as interference by the executive branch.

Meanwhile, Speaker Koffa has resisted calls for his resignation, insisting he will only step down if the faction calling for his removal secures a two-thirds majority vote in the House, which requires 49 members. The dissenting group currently has 43 members, now 44 with the addition of the Deputy Speaker, falling short of the threshold required to formally oust him.

In defiance, the breakaway faction has been holding separate sessions in the legislature’s joint chamber, an act Speaker Koffa has condemned as unconstitutional.