The approval process for the Liberia 2025 National Budget has been marred by significant procedural controversies and political turmoil, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the budget's passage and the stability of Liberia's democratic institutions.
Leadership Crisis and Budget Submission
The House of Representatives has been embroiled in a deep leadership crisis, with a faction known as the "Majority Bloc" challenging Speaker J. Fonati Koffa's authority. This group, comprising over 40 lawmakers, has been at the forefront of efforts to unseat Speaker Koffa, citing allegations of corruption and conflicts of interest[1]. The crisis reached a critical point when the Majority Bloc, operating outside the main chamber, held parallel sessions and elected Representative Richard Nagbe Koon as their new Speaker[3].
Amid this turmoil, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai submitted the 2025 Draft National Budget to the Legislature on November 18, 2024. Initially proposed at $851 million, the budget was adjusted to $880 million after legislative reviews[2]. The submission process became contentious when the Executive Branch presented the budget to the Majority Bloc through the Office of the Chief Clerk, bypassing the traditional protocol of addressing it directly to the Speaker[6].
This unconventional submission method sparked outrage among Speaker Koffa's supporters, who accused the administration of violating the Presentment Clause of the Public Financial Management (PFM) Law. They warned of potential legal action, arguing that the submission violated the PFM laws' presentment clause [6].
Budget Review and Approval Process
The ongoing leadership dispute significantly disrupted the normal budget review process. In an unprecedented move, the Liberian Senate broke tradition and declined to conduct a joint review of the draft budget with the House of Representatives. Instead, the Senate mandated its Joint Committee on Ways, Means Finance and Budget and Judiciary to scrutinize the draft budget[7].
This decision led to separate budget hearings being held by the Ways, Means, Finance and Budget Committees of both the "Majority Bloc" and the Liberian Senate. As a result, government officials were required to appear multiple times before different committees, potentially slowing down the budget approval process and affecting the timely delivery of essential services[7].
Despite these challenges, the House Majority Bloc approved the $880 million 2025 budget on December 19, 2024[4]. The following day, in a special session, the Liberian Senate unanimously endorsed the budget, concurring with the House's decision. The Senate's approval came after a procedural debate and an "on the record" vote requested by Senator Wellington Geevon-Smith[8].
Constitutional Implications and Supreme Court Ruling
The leadership crisis and its impact on the budget process raised significant constitutional questions. Speaker Koffa and his allies petitioned the Supreme Court of Liberia, alleging unconstitutional actions by the Majority Bloc. They accused the group of convening unauthorized plenary sessions, suspending lawmakers without due process, unlawfully restructuring statutory committees, and seizing control of the 2025 draft national budget[3].
However, in a critical judgment on December 6, 2024, the Supreme Court declined to resolve the leadership crisis, stating that it could not intervene in what it deemed an internal legislative matter. Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh emphasized the principle of separation of powers, saying that the Court could not do for the Legislature what was within its purview[9].
This ruling has led to conflicting interpretations and raised concerns about the Court's role in safeguarding constitutional governance. Critics argue that by not directly addressing the Majority Bloc's actions, the Court may have inadvertently allowed unconstitutional behavior to persist, potentially undermining the integrity of Liberia's democratic institutions[9].
_____________________________
Get Involved
Do you have additional facts to add to this insight or an opinion you would like to express?
Email Us
References:
[1] https://smartnewsliberia.com/2025-national-budget-submitted-amid-house-divisions-over-speaker-koffas-leadership/
[2] https://smartnewsliberia.com/senate-concurs-with-house-on-passage-of-880-million-2025-national-budget/Liberia's Budget, Procedural Chaos Clouds, 2025 Fiscal Plan
[3] https://frontpageafricaonline.com/breaking-news/liberia-speaker-koffa-allies-petition-supreme-court-over-alleged-constitutional-violations-by-house-majority-bloc/
[4] https://smartnewsliberia.com/house-majority-bloc-approves-880-million-2025-budget-awaits-senate-decision/Liberia's Budget, Procedural Chaos Clouds, 2025 Fiscal Plan
[5] https://allafrica.com/stories/202412100318.htmlLiberia's Budget, Procedural Chaos Clouds, 2025 Fiscal PlanLiberia's Budget, Procedural Chaos Clouds, 2025 Fiscal Plan
[6] https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-executives-shift-of-budget-submission-to-deputy-chief-clerk-sparks-outrage-pro-koffa-group-threatens-legal-action/
[7] https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-senate-breaks-tradition-declines-joint-review-of-draft-national-budget-with-house-amid-leadership-crisis/
[8] https://liberianinvestigator.com/update/liberian-senate-endorses-fy2025-national-budget-at-us880-million/Liberia's Budget, Procedural Chaos Clouds, 2025 Fiscal Plan
How do we expect the court to make a determined decision on the matter when there’s a gun pointed at her by the Executive? Our laws are being violated by this old man and others are supporting the idea. We all should remember that future generations will ask us the hard questions about why the state is like this.