Demands new Speaker election.
Monrovia, Liberia -Following his resignation, former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa stated that a new election for Speaker of the House of Representatives is inevitable, stating that “if I resign, a vacancy is created,” and that the Constitution and House procedures determine what happens next.
Koffa stressed in a press conference after days of increasing political pressure and a Supreme Court decision confirming his legitimacy that his departure was a calculated move to prevent more legislative chaos and possible violence rather than being forced or influenced by financial incentives.
“I am unable to compromise on the law,” Koffa told reporters. “If I step down, the law will inevitably require that a new Speaker be chosen, and the position is made available.”
Koffa’s retirement coincides with increased tensions on Capitol Hill, including the employment of armed security officers and internal House disputes that, according to him, damaged his caucus’ support. After assessing what he called a worsening situation within the legislature, Koffa said the decision to resign was finally decided.
He stated that “we needed to evaluate our own involvement in the situation. After the caucus assessment. With additional armed men being brought in as reinforcement, we had to decide whether to go to the Capitol tomorrow and see another act of violence or to stay away from it.”
Rejecting claims that he took money in return for his resignation, he called the rumors baseless and politically driven.
“This would not be the best moment to collect money if I chose to do this. The best moment to sell it would have been before the decision, if I had withdrawn my lawsuit,” Koffa claimed.
He acknowledged that paying his parliamentary allies’ long-overdue salary and benefits was one of his demands in negotiations with his rivals.
Indeed, Koffa stated that “we had discussed my intention to retire and that I had asked that my colleagues’ pay and benefits be reimbursed. That led to another straight discussion with my colleagues, where they received guarantees that it would be done completely.”
Koffa also discussed the arrest of a few of his employees, who are now being imprisoned at the Monrovia Central Prison, claiming that the case is politically contaminated. He demanded that the accusations be objectively examined by foreign investigators.
Since the matter has been handled so politically, “I’m asking the police to have foreign investigators come look into it, consider all the facts, and we’ll follow their findings,” he added.
The former Speaker stated that he intends to publish a book called From 1 to 73: The Conspiracy at the Capitol, which makes explicit reference to the House of Representatives’ entire membership as well as the incidents that ultimately led to his political downfall.
Months of legal and political bickering over the speakership ended with Koffa’s resignation, and the Supreme Court ruled that it was unlawful to replace him while the case was still pending. Koffa claimed that despite the court victory, things changed once President Joseph Boakai openly promised to cooperate with the ruling group, so isolating him.
“After it was altered, we had to evaluate our own involvement. And following the president’s remark, we began to lose some of our most devoted members,” Koffa said. “Should I simply remain a speaker sitting at home while someone else wields the authority and benefits of the position? I don’t think that’s a good use of my time.”
