Story By: Alesia P. Anderson/ apanderson@yahoo.com
Photo from Sengbeh’s blog

The Liberia Senate has finally concurred with the House of Representatives by passing the controversial threshold bill that experienced hitches at the Legislature for some differences amongst lawmakers.

The Senators yesterday went into an extraordinary session to obtain votes that would ensure passage of the bill after intense public pressure bore on them for their delay to concur with the lower House, which passed the bill at 40,000 per constituency.

The National Population Threshold Bill originated from the National Elections Commission, which set the population threshold at 38 per constituency, but the projection triggered contentions amongst lawmakers some of whom stated that the threshold proposed would deprive their counties or districts appropriate representation at the National Legislature.

Amid the bickering, public outcries and international pressure pushed the House to pass the Population Threshold Bill at 40,000 but when it went into the Senate, the contention lingered, causing prolonged bickering.

On Wednesday, bickering intensified when Senator Jewell Howard Taylor Wednesday made a motion for the passage of the controversial threshold bill at 40,000, she received a backlash from other senators who stepped on the motion on grounds that the threshold should be at 48,000 persons per constituency.

The motion generated an irking debate which brought the two opposing sides at each others’ throats with journalists gazing as though there was a motion picture being shown in the Senate Chamber. Apparently, the show was observed to be the incumbent Unity Party versus the out-of power National Patriotic Party acting for passage the threshold bill.

The bill was passed at 40,000 per constituency by the House of Representatives at the end of heavy bickering and prolonged hearing that aggravated public pressure which led to its passage. The contention has been that counties with a smaller population would be either under-represented in parliament or without any representation while those with larger populations have argued that the threshold bill is constitutional.

When the bill was sent to the Senate for concurrence, it got stalled. But a committee which handled it reported that it increased the threshold to 48,000 per constituency with at least two representatives across the board before the application of the threshold, a suggestion which has never sufficed up to present.

Accordingly, there has been immense consultation amongst senators to mitigate the impasse until yesterday when the Jewel Howard-Taylor motion was raised with a resistance that seemed to further stall its passage.

During yesterday’s session, Senator Abel Massaley of Grand Cape Mount County and a stalwart of the National Patriotic Party made an opening statement in which he said the Unity Party doesn’t want the Threshold Bill to be passed. In his statement, Senator Massaley indicated that he will join the civil society group and other groupings to see to it that the Unity Party doesn’t succeed in passing this controversial Threshold Bill.

But Bomi County Senator Richard Devine reacting to Massaley from a Unity Party point of view said the NPP is no longer in existence, and that NPP will not be allowed to stall progress of the Unity Party, especially in stalling the passage of the Threshold Bill. Senator Devine indicated that he will make sure that he does not form part of what ever thing that is going to affect the people of Bomi.

At the senate session Wednesday, 25 Senators were present to vote the bill; when the presiding officer requested for votes, 11 senators voted for the passage of the Bill at 40,000 and while 14 were against.

Those who were for the bill at 40,000 include Senators Jewel Taylor, Joyce Freeman, Masseley, Prince Johnson amongst others, while those who were against the bill passed at 40,000 but instead at 48,000 were Maryland County Senator Gloria Scott, Bomi’s Richard Devine, Maryland’s John Ballout, Grand Bassa’s Gbazongar Finely, and Bomi’s Laiha Lansana amongst others.

Apparently the development at the Senate suggests refusal by the Liberian Senate to concur with the House of Representatives in the passing the National Threshold Bill at 40,000 per constituency, without addressing pertinent concerns.

The delay in passing the controversial National Threshold Bill currently before the Senate has ignited local and International criticisms on the national Legislative, which have apparently compelled its passage by the House of Representative pending senate concurrence.

Notwithstanding Thursday, however, there were threats of demonstrations by some civil society members who have decided to pressure the Senate to pass the bill so that it would not hinder progress in preparation for the 2011 presidential and general elections.

Our reporter from the Capitol said senators were seen Thursday engaged by so many civil society organization members on ground that the senators should see reason to pass the bill in the national interest.

Amongst the civil society organization members seen at the Capitol were the Justice of the Peace (JPC) director in person of Augustine Toe and others.

The Senate Committee Chairman on Executive, Nathaniel Nathan of Gbarpulo County who was the presiding, recognized Senator Franklin Siakor of Bong County to make the motion. Senator Siakor, in his motion suggested that the bill which was brought to us from the lower house for concurrence remains at 40,000 as the national threshold with no counties having less than two (2) seats across the board.

The motion was overwhelmingly accepted with 16 votes in favor of the 40,000 for the reason that the bill should not be held hostage, while 9 was against the bill at 40,000. The senators told journalist that a Conference Committee will be set up next Tuesday to see how best they can negotiate with the lower house for the provision to be accepted.