By By: Alphanso G. Kalama
Capitol Hill, Liberia — A session in the House of Representatives was abruptly adjourned on Monday after Speaker Fonati Koffa confirmed that only 30 lawmakers were present, leaving 42 absent and resulting in a lack of quorum. The roll call was conducted by Chief Clerk Mildred Siryon, who verified the attendance before the session commenced.
Following the attendance confirmation, Speaker Koffa directed the sergeant-at-arms to locate the missing lawmakers. However, the sergeant-at-arms reported that none of the absent members were in the building.
Faced with the quorum issue, Speaker Koffa indicated that punitive actions would be considered against the absent members of the Secretariat. He then entertained a motion from Representative Musa Bility, who proposed adjourning the session until the next plenary sitting and called for legal consultations to compel the absent lawmakers to attend future meetings.
The session was subsequently adjourned by the Koffa bloc, highlighting ongoing tensions within the House.
In a separate development, a faction claiming to be the majority convened a different deliberation in the joint chambers, where 43 lawmakers were present. Notably, several members of the House Secretariat participated in this alternate session, while Chief Clerk Mildred Siryon and Deputy Chief Clerk remained with the Koffa bloc in the main chambers.
The majority bloc is reportedly demanding that Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah join their session within 48 hours. As the situation unfolds, the majority bloc has indicated plans to return to the main chamber for further discussions.
Meanwhile, former President George Weah was seen on a live video call with Deputy Speaker Fallah, seeking to understand the dynamics of the session in the main chamber.
Senate activities, however, continue unaffected as the disputes within the House do not directly involve their proceedings. The political landscape remains tense as lawmakers navigate their commitments and factional divisions.
