Published: January 12, 2026
MONROVIA – Liberia’s House of Representatives returns to work today, Monday, January 12, 2026, opening the first quarter of the third session of the 55th Legislature amid unresolved internal tensions that threaten to overshadow the start of the new legislative year.
The resumption of activities is in keeping with Article 32 of the 1986 Constitution, which mandates the Legislature to assemble in regular session on the second working Monday of each year. While the House is expected to outline its legislative priorities for 2026, the reopening comes amid a brewing leadership confrontation that could test quorum, unity, and the chamber’s ability to function effectively.
According to the official program, activities begin at 8 a.m. on the Capitol grounds with the hoisting of the flags of Liberia’s 15 counties, led by Acting Sergeant-at-Arms Morris Gibson and his team. At 10 a.m., a parade and the hosting of the National Flag of the Republic of Liberia will follow, led by the Armed Forces of Liberia Band. Lawmakers are expected to salute the national colors before proceeding from the Capitol grounds.
Following the flag-raising and parade ceremonies, members of the House will move to the historic Providence Baptist Church for the official opening program of the third session. Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon is expected to deliver his opening statement, setting out the legislative agenda and priorities for the session.
The decision to hold the opening ceremony at Providence Baptist Church marks an unprecedented move in recent legislative history. The church holds deep historical significance, having served as a meeting place for Liberia’s earliest lawmakers long before the Capitol Building was constructed in 1956. House leadership has described the move as symbolic, aimed at reconnecting the Legislature with the nation’s foundational values.
Speaker Koon has said the choice of venue reflects a deliberate effort to remind lawmakers of the principles of community, discipline, and shared national purpose that guided Liberia’s early governance. The Speaker has emphasized that the historic opening is intended to inspire members to approach the new session with renewed integrity and a stronger commitment to the Liberian people.
The House has clarified, however, that the use of Providence Baptist Church is strictly for the official opening ceremony and does not signal a relocation of legislative business. All regular sittings and committee work will continue at the Capitol Building.
Substantively, the third session is expected to focus on several key national issues. These include strengthened legislative oversight of the executive branch, discussions on economic reforms and development initiatives, and the review and consideration of existing concession agreements, alongside other matters of national interest.
Yet, even as the agenda is set, political uncertainty looms large.
On December 30, 2025, Speaker Koon entered a prolonged, more than four-hour meeting with aggrieved members of the House in Paynesville, as last-minute efforts intensified to avert a boycott of President Joseph Boakai’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) scheduled for January 2026. The meeting, described by sources as frank and at times tense, ended without a clear breakthrough.
The dissenting lawmakers — 22 members from the Majority Bloc — have publicly vowed to boycott the SONA and the official opening of the House unless what they describe as sweeping changes are made to the current leadership and administrative practices. Their stance was reaffirmed following a series of consultative meetings earlier in the week in the Police Academy Community and the Rehab Community, which they said failed to produce concrete commitments.
At the center of the dispute are allegations against the Speaker, Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, and the leadership of key committees, including Ways, Means and Finance, and Rules, Order and Administration. The lawmakers accuse House leadership of poor governance, weak administrative oversight, and the marginalization of rank-and-file members.
They have also raised concerns over the treatment of Central Administration staff, personal staffers, and employees of the Plenary Secretariat. According to the lawmakers, some staff members were unfairly treated during recent salary increment exercises, while others allegedly went unpaid during the festive season, denying families expected holiday relief.
In a further escalation, the aggrieved lawmakers have disclosed that they are aligning with members of the Minority Bloc, a move they say gives them the numbers needed to initiate proceedings to remove both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. They are reportedly preparing a 10-count resolution seeking the removal of Speaker Koon, Deputy Speaker Fallah, four members of the Ways, Means and Finance Committee, and one member of the Rules and Order Committee.
The proposed resolution is expected to cite alleged lack of accountability, marginalization of lawmakers, usurpation of committee functions, and suspected financial improprieties. As leverage, the lawmakers have resolved to boycott the President’s SONA and to deny the Speaker a quorum in future sittings until their demands are addressed, describing the tactic as a lawful parliamentary tool.
Both Speaker Koon and Deputy Speaker Fallah have rejected the allegations, insisting that House leadership remains stable and that legislative business is on course. Fallah has dismissed reports of an imminent removal effort as speculative.
“You know what we went through to remove a Speaker, let alone talk about removing the Speaker and Deputy Speaker,” Fallah said.
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