House of Representatives Suspends District #10, Representative Hon. Yekeh Kolubah

Representative Kolubah is being penalized for allegedly referring to Liberian President George Weah as a “dog”, during one of his usual public outbursts against the President and his CDC Government.

His alleged comment triggered outrage and anger among some lawmakers. Montserrado District#5 lawmaker Thomas P. Fallah, a member of the governing CDC and Chairman of the House’s committee on ways, means, and Finance filed an official complaint to the House’s plenary to look into the matter.

 

On March 25, during the House’s 21st day sitting, the plenary took a decision to suspend Representative Yekeh Kolubah. Rule 47.8(C) of the House’s standing rule gives the right to plenary to take such action against one of its members.

However, a motion for reconsideration was filed by Montserrado District#8 lawmaker Acarous Moses Gray, a move that delayed legislator Kolubah’s suspension. Under the House’s rule, a motion for reconsideration must be tried and tested after three working sessions, inclusive of the day of the filing of said motion.

The rule mandates that a movant of a motion for reconsideration must file a written communication to the office of the Chief Clerk challenging the suspension within the time allotted for the motion to be tried and tested on the floor. But Representative Gray, the movant, in this case, failed to meet up with the laid down procedure with the office of the Chief Clerk, thereby validating the plenary’s initial decision.

 

For the suspension to take effect and, in line with the House’s standing rule, Lawmaker Kolubah must be served a letter of suspension. The office of the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives is now in the process of preparing lawmaker Kolubah’s letter of suspension, according to sources close to Chief Clerk Mildred Sayon.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are the official working days of the Liberian Legislature, Liberia’s first branch of government under its Republican style of governance. The announcement of 30 days suspension by the House’s plenary means that Representative Kolubah and the People of Montserrado District#10 would not be represented at the Legislature for nearly four months.

 

But Representative Kolubah, who has been frequently caught in intense political brawls with members of the governing CDC Government, expressed no regrets for his action and has threatened to take the House to court if he receives a communication relative to his suspension.

The vocal Montserrado legislator has been a leading critic of President George Weah’s administration. Not once, but multiple times, he has accused President Weah of corruption. Yekeh Kolubah has also come under frequent house arrests from the government over what his political foes termed as outlandish comments against the President and the entire government.

 

His most noticeable criticisms against the Government have come from the country’s $16 billion sagas and January 7, 2019, and the COP protest which saw thousands of Liberian marched the streets of the Capital Monrovia, demanding an end to corruption and other vices within the Government.

“I continue to say that I stand by my statement one hundred percent, and I have absolutely no apology for anyone. I repeat, George Weah is very corrupt,” lawmaker Kolubah said as his voice sounded with vehemence as the presiding read his suspension in open plenary.