WRITTEN BY TOM B. NYENUR
Source: FrontpageAfrica
Monrovia - The House of Representatives
has unanimously voted to investigate what they call President Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf’s usual habit of editing legislations when tabled before her to sign
into law.
The lawmakers argued it was not the president’s
prerogative to add or subtract wordings to laws enacted by them in order to
suit her desire. The lawmakers maintained the president is only given authority
by the constitution to veto laws that may be deemed inimical to national
interest.
As a step to taking the issue up with the president, the body
decided they will thoroughly review all journals of laws enacted by the
erstwhile 52nd and the current 53rd legislature.
Among reasons for the review,
the house wants to compare existing laws as printed into handbills with the
journals in order to be sure of those the president has unilaterally changed in
violation of the constitution.
The house reached the decision during Tuesday’s
plenary in accordance with a communication forwarded by Representative James
Biney of Maryland County.
Representative Biney’s communication was prompted by
claims that the president has tampered with an agreement they rectified a few
years back concerning the operation of Cavalla Rubber Company.
According to
Mr. Biney, the 52nd Legislature in rectifying the Cavalla contract, deleted a
portion contained therein, given the Cavalla management a monopoly over the
entire land.
The bill that was sent them by the president stated under sections
5.7 and 5.6 that no other shall have the right to operate near Cavalla unless
such operation was sixty (60) kilometers away from its operational areas.
In
specific terms, the bill sated that government shall not, during the term of
the concession agreement, without the investor’s written approval, grant any
license to any government entity to or third party to construct or operate any
oil and rubber processing plant within sixty (60) kilometers away from the
borders of Cavalla’s operational areas.
That portion was deleted by the 52nd
legislature on grounds that it amounted to giving cavalla monopoly, Biney said. The president allegedly inserted the said portion and printed same into
handbills to suggest that the lawmakers approved it.
“Instead of the president
vetoing the act on the basis that we deleted sections 5.6 and 5.7 as she
wanted, she secretly inserted them, which was tantamount to nullifying the
contracts” Biney’s communication stated.
Concluding, he called for the
revocation of all contracts in which the president made insertions and
published into handbills without their consent so that the appropriate
corrective actions can be taken.
Meanwhile the communication was widely
supported by nearly all lawmakers in Tuesday’s plenary with others pinpointing
cases in which the president has committed similar violations.
The lawmakers
were of the conviction that the president’s action was not in violation of the
constitution nut criminal in nature, as such, she must be summoned before the
body to provide explanation.
Representative George Mulbah in support of Biney,
also called for the revision of all laws that were enacted by both the 52nd and
the current 53rd legislature to ensure that they were published into handbills
as was written by them.
Representative Acarous Gray said that a comparative
analysis should be made between the existing laws and the journals of the
legislators, out of which the laws were printed into handbills. According to
Gray, this will set a precedent against such corrupt practice as the one done
by the president.
Others argued that the president must abide by the
separation of power doctrine as well as provisions of the constitution that all
powers is inherent in the people, as directly represented by those of the
august body.
For his part, Representative Gabriel termed the president action
as calculated and deliberate attempt to undermine the legislature and should
not go unpunished.
“This is not the first of its kind on the part of the
president, which should not be seen as mistake, because mistakes are made only
for the first time, but not when they made for the second, third and fourth
time”, Smith said.
He added that the executive has on many occasions violated
the constitution of this country and gone with impunity and should not it this
time around.
“Let her not take this body to be a sleeping dog, because we are
not a sleeping dog”, he added.
Following the heated debate, the lawmakers
finally agreed that a formal communication be forwarded to the president, indicating
their resolve to investigate the matter to the letter.
