Monrovia – Associate Justice Yamie Q. Gbeisay, Justice in Chambers of the Supreme Court, has lifted the temporary stay order on the House of Representatives and declined to issue a writ of prohibition against the anti-Koffa bloc.
Speaker J. Fonati Koffa had sought a prohibition from the Supreme Court against his colleagues who have refused to participate in sessions under his leadership, opting instead to hold parallel sessions in the joint chamber of the Legislature. This faction, calling itself the “majority bloc,” has expressed intent to remove Koffa as Speaker but has yet to formally initiate impeachment proceedings as required by the Constitution.
The Supreme Court’s October 25 stay order, which had temporarily restrained the majority bloc’s activities, has now been formally lifted, allowing the group to continue their activities.
The Majority Bloc has questioned the validity of the House’s standing rules and Speaker Koffa’s authority, claiming they hold a majority and seeking judicial validation of their position. During a conference with Associate Justice Gbeisay on Monday, the anti-Koffa faction admitted that Speaker Koffa has not been afforded due process but argued that, since no formal impeachment proceedings have begun, his request for a prohibition was premature.
Koffa’s legal team contended that their client was being denied due process, with his colleagues’ actions constituting a violation of both the Constitution and House rules. Koffa has maintained that allegations against him—including claims of conflict of interest, budget mismanagement, and unauthorized structural changes within the House—are baseless and poorly substantiated. He has urged his colleagues to follow constitutional procedures, pointing to Article 49 of the Liberian Constitution, which mandates a due process, a two-thirds majority vote, and a fair hearing before a Speaker can be removed.
Meanwhile, the anti-Koffa bloc, led by Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, instructed the House Secretariat on Tuesday to notify the Senate, Executive, and Judiciary branches to halt any official dealings with Speaker Koffa and his supporters. Grand Gedeh County District #1 Representative Jeremiah Sokan, a member of the anti-Koffa bloc, introduced the directive, urging government institutions to engage solely with their faction, which claims to represent the House majority.
In Tuesday’s session, the anti-Koffa lawmakers also issued a warning to members of the pro-Koffa faction, calling on them to attend their sessions or face penalties under House Rule 21.
Though the group has not initiated formal impeachment proceedings against Koffa, they continue to pressure him to resign. Koffa remains defiant, stating that he will not step down and calling on his colleagues to adhere to constitutional due process. To date, the anti-Koffa bloc has not demonstrated they have secured the required two-thirds majority to proceed with impeachment.
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