Members of the House of Representatives and the Liberian Senate are today, Tuesday, December 03, returning to the Capitol for a weeklong work legislative work, but lawmakers here, who have been recalled from their annual break, say their stay at the first branch of government, will base on the nature of the proclamation issued by President George Weah.Though, the nature of the proclamation is yet unknown but information suggests that the President is seeking for resumption to stabilize the economy before things get worse.
Some Liberians are contemplating to join a planned December 30 protest, organized by the group, Council of Patriots. It is being organized under the banner “Weah step down campaign.”While some Liberians planned to join the protest on grounds that the economic situation is ‘terrifying and unbearable’ and maybe to curtail that, the government is now considering printing new banknotes to pay salaries.
Currently, both the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning Ministry and the Central Bank of Liberia cry wolf that government does not have control of the current banknotes in circulation as buck of the local currency is outside of the banking sector, being reportedly controlled by individuals from various homes and business centers here.
On Monday, December 02, both members of the House of Representatives and the Liberian Senate spent about four hours behind doors discussing the essence of their return, but Speaker Bhofal Chambers and Senate Pro-Tempore Albert Chie declined to speak to the media about the protracted meeting.
However, information gathered from the corridors of the Capitol suggests many of the lawmakers are demanding that government pay their four months’ arrears but signals from the Executive Mansion show that availability of such demand is far from reality as the George Weah-led government struggles to settle two months’ arrears for civil servants.
The outcome of the two separate meetings is unknown to the media as lawmakers were seen leaving one by one without saying a word to the media. Senate President Pro Tempore Albert Chie promised to speak to the media after the first session of the special session.
Some lawmakers who confided in this paper said if President George Weah is calling them back for the printing of new banknotes, many of them would walk out of session.It is suggested in some quarters that the government is anticipating that the lawmakers give green light for the printing of new currency in order to arrears for workers and local vendors here.
President Weah’s legal advisor Archie Bernard, was seen moving between Senate Pro Tempore Albert Chie and Speaker Chambers’ offices, chasing lawmakers to resolve the deadlock.This is the second time that lawmakers have been recalled from constitutional break; the first was when they were called for the passage of few concession instruments.By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor
