MONROVIA: Cllr. Augustine Chea, Senator of Sinoe County, has warned that the decision taken by the Senate, which members are referred to as ‘elders,’ to deal with the members of the ‘Majority Bloc’ in the House of Representatives, if not nullified, would lead Liberia down to the wrong path.
Senator Chea who is Chairman on the Senate Committee on Judiciary also indicated that interference from the Executive Branch in the current legislative crisis wherein President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has already taken side is exemplary of the International Community’s cognizance of Liberia’s flagrant flouting of the rule of law.
“In the first place, whatever opinion presented by the Minister of Justice is his understanding of the Supreme Court’s decision. It is not the Supreme Court’s opinion. The Minister not supposed to interpret his opinion to be the Supreme Court’s opinion,” he added.
The Justice Minister, who works under the Executive Branch, in his own opinion, indicated that the ‘Majority Bloc’ has been acting not wrongly.
But Senator Chea, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee vehemently denounced the decision of the Senate which aligned with the ‘majority bloc’ of the House of Representatives, led by Representative Richard Koon, as Speaker.
Senator Chea called the Senate’s decision as an “attack on the Rule of Law.”
He expressed disdain and displeasure in the Senate’s actions.
“It is a sad day for Mama Liberia,” he declared, condemning the move as undermining the country’s legal and democratic principles.
Senator Chea’s position was occasioned by decision announced on Tuesday by Senate Pro-Tempore, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, recognizing the ‘majority bloc’ in the House of Representatives.
The move of the Senate was also triggered by the controversial interpretation of the recent Supreme Court ruling by the Minister of Justice, Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, who is also Attorney General of Liberia.
Cllr. Tweh asserted that the ‘majority bloc’ had the constitutional authority to act on behalf of the House, deeming their sessions lawful based on the Court’s decision.
However, Senator Chea vehemently disagrees with the Minister’s interpretation of the High Court’s ruling.
He criticized the Senate for relying on the Justice Minister Tweh’s opinion, given his role within the Executive Branch.
“I am the Legal Advisor to the Senate. My legal opinion should have informed the Senate’s decision, not the Attorney General, who advises the Executive Branch of Government,” Cllr. Chea maintains.
Cllr. Chea also revealed that he had previously advised the Senate to remain neutral and engage with both factions in the House. Unfortunately, his advice was ignored.
In his absence, Senate Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence announced the Senate’s decision to side with the ‘majority bloc’, a move the Senator described as “unilateral and lacking due process.”
Additionally, Senator Chea criticized the Senate for disregarding the findings of a Special Committee, led by Grand Bassa County Senator Gbezhongar Findley, which was tasked with mediating between the rival House factions.
Cllr. Chea pointed out that the committee had never submitted its report, leaving the Senate’s decision unsubstantiated by comprehensive deliberation.
“I maintain my position as the official legal counsel and Chair of the Senate’s Judiciary Committee: we have proceeded wrongly, and this decision should be nullified,” Chea stated.
He expressed concern that the decision undermines the Senate’s independence and erodes public trust in the Legislature’s impartiality.
The Sinoe County lawmaker warned of the long-term consequences of the Senate’s actions, including potential damage to Liberia’s international standing and a further decline in the country’s rule-of-law rankings.
“We are undermining law and order,” he emphasized, arguing that the Justice Minister’s opinion should not be treated as the definitive interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Further, Senator Chea expressed concern about the Senate’s willingness to align with Koon’s faction on critical legislative matters, such as the passage of the National Budget.
“If democracy must be strong, it must be supported by the rule of law, not the other way around,” Senator Chea asserted.
He called on his colleagues to reconsider their actions, stressing the risk of undermining Liberia’s legal framework and democratic values.
The Sinoe County Senator cautioned the Senate to reclaim its independence and uphold its role as an impartial body of elders, as the public expects.
“We did not act as elders as perceived in the public,” Chea concluded, emphasizing the need for the Legislature to prioritize the rule of law over political expediency.
