—As 43 Pro-Fallah Representatives boycott Session
Once more the debate seeking the removal of Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah is heating up within various closets of the House of Representatives.
Earlier reports suggested a floating resolution in the making for the removal of Deputy Speaker Fallah to replace him with Montserrado county District No 2 Representatives Sekou S. Kanneh also from the ruling the Unity Party.
In the wake of the rumors, Fallah quickly consolidated and made Representatives, S Sekou. Kanneh issued a statement distancing himself from the alleged plot to removal him.
Now another controversy has ensued with Pro- Richard Nagbe Koon, block demanding Fallah be scraped off some of his powers as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
43 in total of the pro-Richard Koon block refused to attend session Thursday. October 9, during the formal resumption of active Legislative duties after nearly three months of recess.
Sources tell IPNEWS that members of the Pro-Koon block fear the increasing ties of Fallah to President Boakai may just sparked another repeat of the Fonati Koffa removal saga.
the pro-Koon block which is made up of majority Representatives of the ruling Unity Party are furious over report that Fallah contributed USD 30,000.00 to the ongoing construction of the opposition CDC Headquarters project.
credible sources informed the authoritative Independent Probe that Thomas Fallah only now holds a block of 11 loyal supporters who are now seeking the intervention of other non-conflated Representatives to join their block to advert any possible resolution that may be floating.
Recently, Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah accompanied President Joseph Boakai to the United Nations General Assembly, where Fallah publicly declared his support and loyalty to the presidency of Jospeh Boakai.
Under its rules and procedures, the Deputy Speaker of the Liberian House of Representatives primarily serves as the presiding officer in the absence or incapacity of the Speaker. However, recent political turmoil in late 2024 has blurred these lines, with a Supreme Court ruling underscoring the limitations on the Deputy Speaker’s authority.
General powers
The main duty of the Deputy Speaker is to preside over sessions when the Speaker is not present.
If the office of the Speaker becomes vacant due to death, resignation, or removal, the Deputy Speaker temporarily acts as Speaker until a new one is elected within 60 days.
Like the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker is elected for the entire six-year term of the legislature.
The Deputy Speaker can be removed from office by a resolution with a two-thirds majority vote of the House members.
In late 2024, a power struggle emerged within the House of Representatives, known as the “legislative deadlock”.
A “majority bloc” of lawmakers, sometimes led by Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, attempted to hold sessions outside of the Speaker’s authority and without him presiding.
In December 2024, the Supreme Court clarified that any session of the legislature must be presided over by either the Speaker or, in their absence, the Deputy Speaker. Critically, the Court’s ruling implied that the Deputy Speaker cannot preside if the Speaker is present and available, even if a majority of lawmakers support a different presiding officer.
Actions by the majority bloc, including the Deputy Speaker, drew criticism for violating constitutional procedures and disrespecting the official chain of command within the House.
The crisis culminated in the resignation of Speaker Fonati Koffa in May 2025, after which a new election was held.
Political pundits tell the authoritative independent Probe that While there are established rules grant the Deputy Speaker specific powers, recent events have highlighted the importance of adhering to constitutional provisions, with the main takeaway from the crisis and court ruling is that the Deputy Speaker’s power to preside is strictly contingent on the Speaker’s absence. Actions taken by the Deputy Speaker or a majority faction outside of this prescribed procedure are considered unconstitutional
