Speaker in Marathon Talks as Lawmakers Insist on SONA Boycott

Published: December 30, 2025

PAYNESVILLE- House Speaker Richard N. Koon on Tuesday entered a prolonged, high-stakes meeting lasting more than four hours with aggrieved members of the House of Representatives, as last-ditch efforts intensified to defuse a looming boycott of President Joseph Boakai’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) scheduled for January 2026.

The meeting, held outside the Capitol Building in Paynesville , brought together House leaders and dissenting lawmakers amid a deepening leadership crisis that now threatens to disrupt the formal opening of the 2026 legislative session. By late evening, participants said no definitive breakthrough had been reached, underscoring the entrenched positions on both sides.

Sources close to the talks described the exchanges as frank and, at times, tense, with lawmakers reiterating demands they say have gone unaddressed despite weeks of political engagement. The lawmakers, 22 from the Majority Bloc, have publicly committed to boycotting the SONA and the official opening of the House unless sweeping changes are made to the current leadership and administrative practices.

Tuesday’s marathon meeting followed a series of consultative gatherings earlier in the week, including sessions held in the Police Academy Community and the Rehab Community. After those meetings, the lawmakers reaffirmed their decision to proceed with the boycott, saying prior engagements had failed to produce concrete commitments.

At the heart of the dispute are accusations against the Speaker, Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, and the leadership of key committees — Ways, Means and Finance, and Rules, Order and Administration. The lawmakers allege poor leadership, weak administrative oversight and the marginalization of rank-and-file members.

During Tuesday’s discussions, the lawmakers again raised concerns about the treatment of Central Administration staff, personal staffers and employees of the Plenary Secretariat. They alleged that some staff members were unfairly handled during recent salary increment exercises and that several civil servants reportedly went unpaid during the festive season, denying families expected holiday relief.

In a significant political escalation, the aggrieved lawmakers disclosed that they have aligned with members of the Minority Bloc. The alliance, they said, gives the minority sufficient numbers to initiate proceedings aimed at removing both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.

According to the lawmakers, plans are underway to jointly sign 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 members, usurpation of committee functions and suspected financial malpractices.

As leverage, the lawmakers have resolved to begin by boycotting the President’s SONA and to deny the Speaker a quorum in future sittings of the House until their demands are addressed. They insist the strategy is a lawful parliamentary tactic designed to compel reforms and restore transparency and confidence in the leadership of the Lower House.