MONROVIA — The Chairman Emeritus of the National Patriotic Party (NPP), Chief Cyril Allen, has applauded the Supreme Court of Liberia for upholding the country’s Constitution.
Allen’s comments followed the court’s ruling in an amended Bill of Information filed by embattled House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa. Speaking via mobile phone in an interview with The Liberian Investigator on Thursday in Monrovia, Chief Allen described the Supreme Court’s decision as a victory for democracy and constitutional order—not a personal win for Koffa, as perceived in some political circles.
“People must take the bull by the horns if our democracy and Constitution are to move forward. I commend Speaker Koffa for testing the Constitution of our country,” Allen said.
However, the veteran political figure also expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court over what he termed as its delay in adjudicating cases—a situation he believes contributed to the burning of the Joint Chambers of the House of Representatives during the legislative standoff.
Allen further criticized President Joseph N. Boakai for what he described as the president’s failure to intervene in the House power struggle, despite Boakai’s more than 40 years of experience in public service.
He called on all three branches of government, especially the House of Representatives, to prioritize the interests of the nation above personal or partisan agendas.
The NPP stalwart urged President Boakai and his administration to revisit past development initiatives such as the Lofa County Agriculture Development Project and the Bong County Agriculture Development Project. He said these programs once created thousands of jobs and significantly boosted the country’s agricultural output.
Allen also encouraged the government to tap into Liberia’s vast potential in the fishing industry, citing the country’s 300 miles of coastline and advocating for investment in modern fishing boats and processing equipment.
Recalling past successes under former President Charles Taylor’s administration, Allen—who served in that government—highlighted the establishment of a $33 million plywood plant in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, which exported to regional and Asian markets.
In a separate mobile interview on Wednesday, April 23, Allen told The Liberian Investigator that Liberia’s democracy is making progress, but much more needs to be done.
His comments came in response to the Supreme Court’s April 23 ruling invalidating the election of Rep. Richard Koon as Speaker of the House and declaring the legislative acts of Koon’s “majority bloc” as unconstitutional, unauthorized, and without legal effect.
The Court’s decision was in response to the amended Bill of Information filed by Speaker Koffa and his supporters. They alleged that Rep. Koon and members of the self-proclaimed majority bloc had flagrantly defied the Court’s December 6, 2024, ruling, which reaffirmed constitutional procedures for legislative sessions and leadership.
“This Court emphatically declares that it is within the power and authority of the Supreme Court of Liberia to say what the law is, without fear or favor, irrespective of the parties before the Court,” the opinion read.
Central to the ruling was the Court’s interpretation of Articles 33 and 49 of the 1986 Constitution, which recognize the Speaker—or, in the Speaker’s absence, the Deputy Speaker—as the only constitutionally designated presiding officers of the House.
“The Constitution provides that a quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the members of the Honorable House of Representatives,” the Court ruled. “But such quorum must be presided over by the presiding officer defined under Article 49 of the Constitution as the Speaker, and only in his absence, the Deputy Speaker.”
The Court found Rep. Koon’s assumption of the speakership and his leadership of House proceedings to be illegal.
In a statement released shortly after the ruling, Rep. Koon insisted that Cllr. Koffa had been lawfully removed by a two-thirds majority of the full House membership in accordance with Article 49 of the Constitution and Rule 9(a) of the chamber’s internal rules. He accused the Court of attempting to impose Koffa on the Legislature and labeled the ruling as an “audacious intrusion” into the internal affairs of the First Branch of Government.
“The leadership of the House of Representatives, acting by and between me, the undersigned, rejects in the strongest terms the judgment of the Supreme Court,” Koon stated in a formal release under the official seal of the Speaker’s Office. He added that the Supreme Court “has today deviated from its own age-old standard not to delve into the internal affairs of the Legislature unless there is a clear and unequivocal violation of the Constitution.”
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