Liberia: Senator Chea Slams Boakai, Urges Recognition of Speaker Koffa - FrontPageAfrica

MONROVIA – Senator Augustine Chea of Sinoe County has strongly criticized President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s response to the recent Supreme Court ruling, describing it as troubling and a blatant rejection of the Court’s authority.

By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, gerald.koinyeneh@frontpageafricaonline.com

In an address to the nation on Thursday, President Boakai said his administration welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision but stressed that his government would continue working with a “functioning quorum” in the House of Representatives to prevent disruption of governance.

However, Senator Chea, who chairs the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Claims, and Petitions, issued a strongly worded statement condemning the President’s position, saying it undermines the rule of law and emboldens what he termed the “Majority Bloc.”

“The President’s response to the Supreme Court’s ruling is troubling. It is an outright rejection of or a disregard for the decision of the highest court of the land, and it emboldens the ’Majority Bloc,’” Senator Chea said.

He argued that any quorum not presided over by Speaker Fonati Koffa or his designated authority is unconstitutional.

“Article 33 of the Constitution cannot be construed in isolation. It must be read in conjunction with Article 49, which speaks to the quorum and the presiding officer. A majority of Representatives cannot simply gather—whether in the chamber or elsewhere—and conduct official business without the Speaker or, in his absence, the Deputy Speaker,” Chea emphasized.

He added that the Supreme Court’s ruling clearly settled this point and must be respected.

“Mr. President,” he continued, “acknowledging the Court’s decision is not enough. You must take concrete executive actions: recognize Fonati Koffa as Speaker, instruct executive agencies to work with him, reinstate his security detail, and urge members of the House to resolve the current impasse in the interest of peace, unity, and uninterrupted governance.”

In his national address, President Boakai had said that while he welcomed the ruling, his government would engage with a functional quorum to avoid administrative paralysis.

But Senator Chea countered that the President cannot use the desire for stability as an excuse to ignore constitutional mandates.

“There’s nothing more disruptive than the failure to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the land. That’s what leads to chaos, disorder, and instability,” he said. “Mr. President, you swore an oath to defend the Constitution. That is not a matter of preference—it’s a solemn obligation.”

Chea further cautioned that the President must not appear as a “bully” in the current political context and advised him to reconsider his support for the controversial quorum if he truly seeks a resolution.

“The Supreme Court has spoken clearly on who the legitimate Speaker is, who presides over sessions, and how a Speaker is elected or removed. That is the law, and the Supreme Court is the final arbiter. No branch of government can review or defy its decision—even if it disagrees.”

As a potential solution, Senator Chea recommended that the President use the authority of the Supreme Court’s ruling to convene a reconciliation meeting between the rival factions in the House.

“This meeting could be presided over by you, the Traditional Council, or former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Invite stakeholders including former Presidents Sirleaf and George Weah, leaders of civil society and interfaith organizations, the Senate leadership, and officials of both ruling and opposition parties,” he suggested.

As a last resort, Chea proposed a transitional arrangement if reconciliation fails.

“If the Majority Bloc refuses to operate under Speaker Koffa, then the only viable option would be for Speaker Koffa to voluntarily resign, paving the way for a new election to resolve the deadlock.”