ECHO FROM THE LEGISLATURE: In controversial Threshold Bill

Legislature Gets Tough

There is a time for everything under the sun as the 'Good Book' says. Now is one of such times over the issue of the controversial Threshold Bill.

The Threshold Bill, which had overstayed in the corridors of the Legislative and Executive branches of government, and now before the Judiciary to determine its fate, may soon fly to a resting place for public appeasement.

The National Elections Commission (NEC) threw in a dice to set a new threshold for the 2011 elections that would cause the less populated counties to reduce their representation in the legislature to minimum of one representative per county.

Since the representation only affected the House of Representatives, members of the Lower House vehemently resisted the bill from NEC and instead fought to cast the setting of a new threshold into oblivion. However, when that body could not see its way along that path, they at last settled for another option to accommodate the less populated counties.

As the days numbered, the Upper House (Senate) was drawn into the fray because the political tide was affecting them. As such, the Senate threw in its own dice making the threshold a coat of many colors. Every attempt by the lawmakers to hurry down the road was thwarted by the Executive with the President demanding a figure that will retain the original 64 seats. Thus she vetoed their threshold bill on account of 'no money to accommodate new representatives.'

The Supreme Court has held its peace and delayed throwing in the dice. It has, however, been speculated that the Supreme Court could have the actors return to status quo ante, because all parties acted in error; and as such the President's dream would become a reality.

Nonetheless, the delay in the Supreme Court handling down an opinion in the threshold case will give the lawmakers upper hand this time around if the less populated counties will succeed in having the more populated counties sympathize with them on the new figure. The new compromise figure they hope to set is intended to give the big counties some appeasement of nine seats while the less populated counties will retain their two seats each.

Now the battle line is drawn. If the new threshold is set, that will increase the number of representatives to 73. The lawmakers are resolute in their determination to override would-be veto from the President and seal the covenant ark once and for all.

Yesterday, lawmakers spent considerable time in dealing with other legislative issues and short time in executive session to deal with the Threshold Bill.

House Representatives

The House of Representatives this week rekindled the fire under the Superintendents of Bomi and Montserrado Counties; calling on the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to audit the two counties. The Chief Clerk was again mandated to send a reminder letter to Auditor General John Morlu to commission an audit of the administrations of both Bomi and Montserrado Counties' former superintendents to authenticate the veracity of the usage of the county development funds for the two counties.

Congressional Delegation

The Plenary of the Lower House has given its blessing to the Margibi County Legislative Caucus to host the United States Congressional delegation in Kakata at a Town Hall Meeting on Saturday. The visit of the Congressional delegation will be climaxed by a working session with the entire Plenary of the Lower House on Monday July 5, 2010.

Bopolu District

The week in retrospect at the legislature brought good tidings to the people of Bopolu District, Gbarpolu County. The administrative headquarters of the district was transferred by law, yesterday, from Bopolu City to Henry Town to the delight of Gbarpolu County lawmakers.

The opposition to this bill was defeated with many convincing factors. One school of thought was that the bill was a bottom-to-top approach as it emanated from the people of the Bopolu District. There will be no additional financial burden imposed on the government because any development needed in the new district headquarters will be decided upon by the people in making a choice for priority with the county development fund; and it will lead to decentralizing development in the county also.

Lake Piso

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has submitted a bill for the development of Lake Piso to the Lower House of the legislature. According to the reading of the communication from President Sirleaf to the Lower House, the government held discussion with the relevant Lake Piso community to the effect. The Act emanated from the 'Liberia Protected Areas Strategy Workshop' held in Ganta, Nimba County, in August 2007, at which the Lake Piso basin was targeted as a protected area established by a resolution.

The Act which seeks to establish the Lake Piso Basin Multiple Sustainable Use Reserve was read in Plenary and subsequently turned over to the House Committees on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Lands and Mines, Information and Tourism and Judiciary with a mandate to report to Plenary in two weeks time.

The Liberian Senate

The chamber of the Liberian Senate this week was a venue of major happenings with two major issues coming to the floor of that august body.

The two major issues were a draft bill seeking to make corruption a non-bailable offense and the unanimous confirmation of Darius Ambrose Nmah as Director General of the Liberian Broadcasting System (LBS). The presidential nominee was rejected on three separate occasions.

On Tuesday of this week the corruption non-bailable bill was submitted by Montesado County Junior Senator Geraldine Doe-Sheriff of Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).

The intent of the bill, according to Senator Sheriff, was to strengthen central government's effort in its fight against corruption.

The draft bill seeks to have any public official accused of corruption and misappropriation of public funds incarcerated and prosecuted without bond.

The bill further seeks to have the assets of officials found guilty of corruption in a court of law confiscated and turned over to the government of Liberia.

In the event where the individual accused does not have property equivalent to the value of the money misapplied or stolen, the court shall determine by law the punishment thereto.

The bill also seeks to make it mandatory that all presidential appointees be required to submit information about all assets that they have acquired and that such declaration shall be made to the Liberia Anti Corruption Commission (LACC) and confirmation statement filed to the Senate.

The introduction of the bill in Plenary has provoked mixed reactions from many legal minds and ordinary Liberians with some saying that it violates due process.

Despite the diverging views being expressed by Liberians on the bill, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said she supports the bill and that she stands ready to sign it into law if passed by the Legislature.