By: Papie Sheriff Kollie, Jr.
IPNews-Monrovia,Liberia- 6 January 2018: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has issued a proclamation extending the sixth and final session of the 53rd National Legislature of the Republic of Liberia by nine days beginning January 4th, 2018. The proclamation followed the signing of a certificate of extension by members of the Senate and House of Representatives respectively.
“Whereas, the Sixth and Final Regular Session of the 53rd Legislature of the Republic of Liberia, was extended through a Certificate of Extension signed by members of the Senate and House of Representatives respectively, to extend the Regular Session from September 1, thru December 31, 2017”, the proclamation recalls.
The proclamation according to Article 32 (b) of the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia provides that the President shall, on the President’s own initiative or upon receipt of a certificate signed by at least one-fourth of the total membership of each House, and by proclamation, extend a Regular Session of the Legislature beyond the date of adjournment or call a Special or Extraordinary Session of that Body to discuss or act upon matters of national emergency and concern; and
It acknowledges that there are several unresolved key matters of national interest that require the urgent attention of the 53rd Legislature and is aware of the emergency nature of these matters, which are all geared toward the enhancement of the socio-economic interests of the State and its people.
The proclamation realizes that Cognizant of the limitation of time to discuss these key matters to facilitate the smooth transition from one democratically elected government to another; which requires the participation and involvement of the 53rd Legislature in Session.
“Convinced that the President of the Republic of Liberia shall appropriately take advantage of the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia to invoke Article 32 (b) as a sole means to involve the participation of the 53rd Legislature in Extraordinary Session to address these unresolved state matters”, it emphasized.
The proclamation concludes “Now Therefore, I, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, by virtue of the authority in me vested, do hereby issue this Proclamation for the 53rd Legislature to reconvene into an Extraordinary Session for a period of Nine (9) Days, commencing January 4 thru January 12, 2018”.
