VP Koung's 7-day deadline expires tomorrow; Speaker Koon returns from Guinea, fails to rally support; Reformists insist on resignation over $5M scandal.
MONROVIA –The 55th Legislature is facing fresh uncertainty as the House of Representatives officially reopens today, Friday, with a bitter leadership standoff showing no sign of ending.
The House is deeply divided, one side is Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon, Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah and the Chairman of the Ways, Means and Finance Committee. On the other is a powerful, growing bloc calling itself the Reformist Movement, comprising over 64 lawmakers from both the ruling Unity Party bloc and the opposition minority bloc.
Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung last weekend gave both sides seven days to settle their differences after the Reformists drove in a convoy of about 64 vehicles to his residence to present a resolution demanding the resignation of the three leaders.
That seven-day ultimatum expires today, Friday. But as of this morning, efforts to resolve the matter have collapsed. No breakthrough has been reached.
And now, sources say, the Reformists plan to stage a parallel meeting this morning instead of attending any session presided over by Speaker Koon – a move that would deny the House a quorum and paralyze legislative business.
According to legislative sources, Speaker Koon returned to Monrovia yesterday from Guinea, where he had reportedly traveled to lobby some lawmakers and seek external mediation. But his efforts appear to have failed to change the position of the aggrieved lawmakers.
"The Speaker returned yesterday and tried to call his loyalists together, but the Reformists are firm. They say they will not sit under Koon until he accounts for the money and resigns," a senior lawmaker told this paper.
The House needs 37 members to form a quorum. If 64 members truly refuse to enter the main chamber, Speaker Koon will not be able to conduct any business today.
This is reminiscent of the 2024 crisis when then-Speaker Fonati Koffa was ousted after months of boycott and parallel sessions.
At the center of the crisis are 12 financial and administrative violations leveled against the House leadership.
In their detailed resolution, a copy of which this paper has seen, the Reformists accuse Speaker Koon, Deputy Speaker Fallah and the Ways and Means Chair of:
Failure to account for over $5 million: The group alleges that since January 2025, over $5 million covering operational funds, committee hearing funds, lawmakers' benefits including gas, scratch cards, vehicle repair, domestic travel, sitting fees and foreign travel DSA, cannot be accounted for.
Alleged unilateral alteration of the FY2025 National Budget after it was passed and signed into law, without returning to Plenary for approval. This, they say, is a constitutional violation.
Diversion of funds intended for District Development Projects and Constituency Visitation – money meant to impact citizens directly in the 73 districts.
Deliberate withholding and selective payment of lawmakers' legitimate benefits. Many first-time lawmakers complain they have not received gasoline or scratch cards for months.
Refusal to allow an independent audit of the House's finances since the Koon leadership took over. The General Auditing Commission (GAC) has not been invited.
Last weekend, in what many described as a dramatic show of political strength, the Reformists organized about 64 vehicles and stormed the residence of Vice President Jeremiah Koung.
They presented their resolution and asked the VP, who is a former lawmaker himself and a key figure in the ruling establishment, to intervene.
Sources present at the meeting said VP Koung expressed shock and concern over the magnitude of the allegations, especially the missing $5 million figure and the claim of budget alteration.
He then pleaded for one week to investigate the claims, consult with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Speaker Koon and other stakeholders, and return with a roadmap.
As of last night, sources close to the VP's office said consultations are ongoing but no compromise has been found as the Reformists are refusing to back down.
According to legislative insiders, the Reformists plan to convene this morning at a separate location – likely at a hotel or at the residence of one of their ringleaders – instead of attending the official opening session to be presided over by Speaker Koon.
If they do that, there will be no quorum in the official chamber. That means Speaker Koon cannot open session, cannot read any communication from the President, and cannot conduct legislative business.
One Reformist lawmaker told this paper late last night: "We will not sit under Koon. Let him bring his own quorum. We are meeting separately until he resigns. We have the numbers."
The Reformists have made their threat clear: if Speaker Koon, Deputy Speaker Fallah and the Ways and Means Chair refuse to resign honorably, they will trigger the removal process.
Under House Rule 9 and Article 49 of the Constitution of Liberia, a Speaker can be removed by a resolution signed by two-thirds of members for cause.
Speaker Koon, who was elected in late 2024 after a bitter leadership battle that removed former Speaker Fonati Koffa, is now facing the same tool used to bring him to power.
Upon his return from Guinea yesterday, Koon reportedly met with a small group of loyalists, about 9 lawmakers, at his office, to strategize on how to preserve his speakership.
Sources close to him say he views the revolt as a political ploy by some lawmakers who want to control House finances themselves.
"They are just power-hungry. There is no missing $5 million. Everything we have spent is documented. Let them show evidence," a Koon loyalist said.
But the Reformists insist they have bank vouchers, internal memos and two versions of the national budget – the one passed by the House and the one allegedly altered – which they will publish if the leadership does not resign.