MONROVIA – Former President George M. Weah has rebuked the Boakai administration, accusing it of endangering Liberia’s democratic foundations and regional peace. Speaking during a high-stakes meeting with a visiting ECOWAS delegation at his office in Paynesville Tuesday, Mr. Weah warned that President Joseph Boakai’s unconstitutional tendencies and tacit support for legislative lawlessness threaten to unravel the fragile peace Liberia has nurtured over the past two decades.
“I conceded defeat and congratulated President Boakai before the final results were announced,” Weah recalled. “I did so not for political showmanship, but to preserve the peace and avoid post-election violence. But what we’re seeing now under his leadership is an assault on the rule of law, and it’s tearing at the fabric of our democracy.”
The former president’s remarks come amid escalating political tensions between rival factions in the House of Representatives and a flaring standoff over the recognition of Richard Koon as Speaker. The ECOWAS delegation, led by former UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, is in Liberia to mediate the dispute — their second such mission in less than a year.
At the heart of the crisis is the refusal by the Majority Bloc in the House to engage with the ECOWAS team after they addressed Richard Koon as “Honorable” rather than “Speaker,” which the bloc insists is a deliberate slight.
The delegation included ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah and Democracy and Good Governance Head Ebenezer Asiedu.
The former president described recent decisions made by the Boakai government, including an attempt to replace three sitting members of the ECOWAS Parliament, as unconstitutional and diplomatically embarrassing.
On Monday, March 24, the ECOWAS team was turned away at the Capitol Building by the Majority Bloc, which claimed that proper protocols had not been observed, including prior notification to Koon’s office.
In the wake of the snub, Speaker Fonati Koffa and members of the Rule of Law Caucus later met with the delegation behind closed doors to explore common ground. Koffa lauded ECOWAS’ continued mediation efforts and emphasized the urgency of restoring order within the House.
Observers, however, are increasingly skeptical about a swift resolution. The Supreme Court is expected to hold a crucial hearing on Wednesday regarding a Bill of Information filed by Speaker Koffa.
ECOWAS has reaffirmed its commitment to regional stability and democratic order. But with internal factions of Liberia’s Legislature growing more resistant to external influence, the mediation process faces an uncertain path.
Meanwhile, former President Weah urged the delegation not to be swayed by political theatrics, but to remain firm in defending Liberia’s democratic values. “I’ve been president. I understand the weight of power,” Weah said. “But when that power is used to undermine institutions and intimidate political opponents, it must be checked—for the good of the people and the survival of the Republic.”
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