—As CDC Accuses Unity Party, But…

IPNEWS: In the aftermath of what is now an abortive coup at the House of Representative, figure pointing and claims of counterclaims have now emerged.

The opposition Coalition For Democratic Change (CDC) says it condemns the abortive attempt by the Unity Party administration of President Joseph Nyumah Boakai to criminally manipulate members of the House of Representatives into ousting House Speaker J Fonati Koffa.

In a statement issue on Sunday, October 20, the CDC notes that the abortive coup is the third of its kind orchestration at removing Speaker Koffa since the UP lost the bid for Speakership in January 2024.
“The party vehemently and vociferously condemns the Unity Party’s abuse of public resources to bribe lawmakers into instigating a legislative coup against the Speaker. The party avers that a time of extreme economic hardship where tens of thousands of Liberians do not have money to even enroll their children since the commencement of school in September; where the UP Government is itself struggling to pay Government workers on time; where the Government has been unable to make payments for goods and services to Government ministries and agencies; and where the Government is yet to identify the resources required to increase the salary of civil servants to pre-Harmonization levels, if this is ever possible: the dishing out of more than US$ 1.2 million, evidentially captured on video and in audio recording, is at best a flagrant disregard and disrespect for public outrage against corruption and at worst a criminal conspiracy worthy of serious investigation by the Liberia Anti Corruption Commission and the Ministry of Justice.”

“The CDC observes that the Unity Party’s unending quest to capture the Speakership at ALL AND ANY COST betrays its abhorrence of the critical democratic balance now existing at the legislature in which the ruling party heads the Senate and an opposition party leads the House of Representative. The CDC notes that such balance is an established feature in mature democracies and henceforth must be ensconced and maintained in the crucible of legislative politics if the county is to pursue and achieve important public interests’ goals germane to the fight against corruption, infrastructure transformation and serious improvements in the quality of health and education, in the quality of public service delivery and in the quality of living standard.”

“The CDC enjoins upon all members of the national opposition community the responsibility to support its call to rally to the defense of Speaker Koffa and jettison this dangerous and pernicious age-old habit of unjustly removing legislative leaders for reasons and motives unrelated to the pursuit of public good but founded in the cesspool of greed and corruption harnessed by selfish political actors in high places. As members of Liberia’s opposition sworn to uphold the public trust by keeping the Government’s feet to the fire, to surest way of upholding such public trust is to maintain legislative parity in the crafting of the National Budget and the oversight of budget execution.”

“Liberians in 2023 voted for this outcome by ensuring the ruling party does not have the numerical advantage to control both Houses in the legislature. Let us not as members of the opposition community countenance the illicit age-old and die[1]hard practice of exerting the influence of the ‘imperial presidency’ to subvert the electoral wishes of our people for legislative equilibrium by illegally wasting public money on lawmakers. This moment requires our collective outrage!”

Contrary to the continued accusation by the CDC, the Government of Liberia through both the Office of the President and the Ministry of Information have repeatedly denied any involvement by President Joseph N. Boakai and warned against any of its official of the Executive Breach of meddling in the affairs of the ongoing tension at the House of Representative.

Presidential Spokeswoman, Atty, Kula Fofana, stated that President Boakai has absolutely no interest in destabilizing any breach of the government as all focus were now on the revitalization and development agenda of Liberia.

Last week figures were pointed at both the Ministry of Transport and the Liberia Water and Seward Corporation (LWSC) of being institutions financing the abortive coup on capitol Hill, even though the claims were swiftly rebuked by Mr. Mo Ali, Director General, stressing that the accusation by the House chairman on Rules, Order and Administration, Hon. Melvin Cole were unfounded.

A meeting called by the CDC citing all its Lawmakers failed to proceed as majority of the CDC Lawmakers boycotted the meeting prompting a rescheduled.

Political experts view the boycott of the CDC Lawmakers to the summons by the CDC leadership as another twist in the political paradigm of the party’s political control of its caucus members.

Infect a microscopic look into the membership of the rebel lawmakers seeking Speaker Fonati Koffa’s removal are majority Lawmakers of the CDC, including Deputy Speaker, Thomas Fallah, who had been the center of accusation of being on the masterminds of the abortive coup.

An investigation by the authoritative Independent Probe Newspaper with detail in our subsequent publication, can safely established that President Joseph Boakai has no hand in the abortive coup, but rather an internal stage coup of a group of criminal enterprise wishing to undercut an audit in substantive budgets alteration.

At least a dozen more Lawmakers from the CDC, allegedly led by Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah are seeking the removal of their own CDC led Speaker. Take a full view of those piloting the removal of Speaker Koffa:

Bomi County

Obediah Varney (District #1) – Unity Party (UP)

Sam P. Jallah (District #3) – Independent

Bong County

Prince Koinah (District #1) – Independent

James Kolleh (District #2) – People’s Unification Party (PUP)

Robert Womba (District #4) – Unity Party (UP)

Foday E. Fahnbulleh (District #7) – Independent

Gbarpolu County

Mustapaha Warittay (District #3) – Unity Party (UP)

Grand Bassa County

Isaac Bannie (District #1) – Movement for Progressive Change (MPC)

Clarence Banks (District #2) – Independent

Alfred Flomo (District #4) – Unity Party (UP)

Grand Cape Mount County

Mohammed Dossi (District #2) – Independent

Grand Gedeh County

Jeremiah Sokan (District #1) – Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)

Marie Johnson (District #2) – Liberia Restoration Party (LRP)

Grand Kru County

Nathaniel Bahway (District #1) – Collaborating Political Parties (CPP)

Lofa County

Julie Fatima Wiah (District #2) – Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)

Siafa Kpoto (District #3) – Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)

Gizzie Kollince (District #4) – Unity Party (UP)

Margibi County

Ivar Jones (District #2) – Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)

Emmanuel Yarh (District #4) – Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)

Clarence Gahr (District #5) – Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)

Maryland County

Mike Jurry (District #1) – Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)

Anthony F. Williams (District #2) – Collaborating Political Parties (CPP)

Austine Taylor (District #3) – Independent

Montserrado County

Sekou Kanneh (District #2) – Unity Party (UP)

Michael Thomas (District #4) – Independent

Richard Koon (District #11) – Unity Party (UP)

Nimba County

Samuel Brown (District #1) – Independent

Nyahn Flomo (District #2) – Collaborating Political Parties (CPP)

Nehker Gaye (District #3) – Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR)

Ernest Manseah (District #4) – Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR)

Samuel Kogar (District #5) – Independent

Dorwohn Gleekia (District #6) – Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR)

Saye Mianah (District #8) – Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR)

River Gee County

Alexander Poure (District #1) – Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)

Isaac Choloplay Wuo (District #2) – Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)

Johnson Williams (District #3) – Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)

River Cess County

Steve Tequeh (District #2) – Independent

Sinoe County

Sampson Wiah (District #2) – Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)

Lawmakers Supporting the Cause but Absent from the Press Engagement

Mannah Bishop Johnson (Bomi District #2) – Unity Party (UP)

Prince Toles (Montserrado District #8)

Alex Grant (River Cess District #1) – Independent

Augustine Chiewolo (Lofa District #5) – Unity Party (UP)

Current Composition of the House of Representatives

Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC): 25 lawmakers

Unity Party (UP): 11 lawmakers

Collaborating Political Parties (CPP): 6 lawmakers

Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR): 4 lawmakers

People’s Unification Party (PUP): 2 lawmakers

National Democratic Coalition (NDC): 1 lawmaker

Liberia Restoration Party (LRP): 1 lawmaker

Liberia National Union (LINU): 1 lawmaker

All Liberian Party (ALP): 1 lawmaker

Movement for Progressive Change (MPC): 1 lawmaker

Vision for Liberia Transformation Party (VOLT): 1 lawmaker