Africa-Press – Liberia. Rep. Koon clarified that the Unity Party is currently not considering challenging for the speakership position, but is focused on engaging lawmakers, especially those from the opposition, to secure budgetary support for the ARREST agenda.
Representative Richard Nagbe Koon (District #11, Montserrado County) has clarified that he has no plans to challenge Speaker Koffa for his position.
Rep. Koon, a prominent member of the ruling Unity Party, narrowly lost to Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). Speculations arose after his defeat suggesting that Rep. Koon, supported by the ruling Unity Party Alliance, was maneuvering to gather enough support to unseat the Speaker. Rep. Yekeh Kolubah (District #10, Montserrado County) alleged that the UP-led government, through Rep. Koon, financially induced him and some House members to support Koon’s bid.
However, Rep. Koon, in an interview with FrontPage Africa, denied any plans to remove the Speaker, stating, “I have no plan [to remove the Speaker],” Rep. Koon said. “Maybe, we will wait for 2029, but not for now. One good thing is that I still have the support of my members, and I know we can work things out to promote the ARREST agenda in the best way possible.”
Regarding a recent meeting with President Joseph Boakai and other top officials of the Unity Party-led government in Tubmanburg, Bomi County, Rep. Koon clarified that the Unity Party is currently not considering challenging for the speakership position, but is focused on engaging lawmakers, especially those from the opposition, to secure budgetary support for the ARREST agenda. He explained that the meeting aimed to rally support for the government’s ARREST Agenda – an acronym representing Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism.
Rep. Koon acknowledged that the Unity Party Alliance does not hold the majority in the House and thus needs to strategize to reach out to opposition colleagues for support, especially for the Government’s ARREST agenda. He noted that the current draft budget does not adequately support key pillars of the agenda, leading to a resolution signed by the executive and Unity Party Alliance lawmakers in Tubmanburg to work together to secure legislative support.
“There is nothing in that budget that supports a particular pillar of the ARREST agenda. So, it was on that basis we had that meeting to present all of the faults on the budget, and what we think we can do on the floor legislatively,” he said. “To get them together, we have to be very persuasive.”
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