IPNEWS: Ahead of the 2023 October presidential and legislative elections, the chairman emeritus of the former ruling National Patriotic Party (NPP) and now Head of the governing council of the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Chief Cyril Allen has foreseen that vast majority of incumbent lawmakers in the 54th Legislature would not get reelected due to their alleged failure to represent the interest of their various constituents.
According to him, his prediction is predicated upon bad laws they enacted, but he was not specific.
Speaking to local radio in Monrovia recently, Prime FM, Chief Allen graded the performances of current lawmakers as 40 percent but was quick to add that this could not be attributed to the Presidency.
“I can assure you that majority of the Legislators will not be reelected by their people because they haven’t been diligent in their duties. They have not had regular visitations to their constituents, all those things will be the reason why many of them will not be reelected”, he averred.
He noted that it is saddening that some lawmakers are now engaged in regular visitation, knowing fully well that election is around the corner, adding that it is due to the October presidential and legislative elections that lawmakers are adding more money in their budget to convince people in their various constituencies to gain reelection, but maintains that will not help them because the citizens are determined to make some changes on who should return at the Capitol.
He lamented that lack of proper representation is a serious problem, and the citizens are not happy with the quality of legislators they elected over the years, so the pending elections will give them the power to make some corrections so their counties would be fully represented.
“Lawmakers must ensure that the interests of the people are paramount; they pretend after getting elected and suddenly change their attitude, but our people will correct that this election”, the outspoken NPP former executive informed on Prime FM.
Most Liberians have blamed the current economic hardship in Liberia on the lackadaisical performance of the Legislature, which has three cardinal responsibilities – represent, make laws and oversight.
According to aggrieved Liberians, over the years the lawmakers have only done things in the Legislature for self-aggrandizement, including putting monies in the budget for their personal gains, while civil servants are paid little or nothing.
The say the lawmakers have failed to institute their oversight responsibility as they sit idly by and allow the Executive branch of government to do whatever it feels to the detriment of the ordinary citizens.
Political pundits believe due to these mishaps on the part of the lawmakers, the ordinary citizens who have the voting powers in their hands will exercise their democratic civil liberties and vote out major of the 54th Legislature because of deception and failure to perform its duty in the interest of the state and its people in October this year at the polls.
