By Grace Q. Bryant
Embattled Speaker Fonati Koffa has denied Vice President Jeremiah Koung’s claims that he attempted to negotiate his resignation amidst the ongoing legislative impasse.
On Sunday, December 16, in a live interview on Spoon TV, Vice President Koung alleged that Speaker Koffa approached his aggrieved colleagues with three demands which among them were that the reinstate of suspended representatives, reassign members of his team to key legislative committees, and that he presides over a session to officially transfer power to Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah.
According to Koung, Koffa sought these conditions as part of a purported resignation deal.
However, Speaker Koffa swiftly countered these claims on his Facebook page stating, “distorted and inaccurate.”
Koffa insisted that at no point did he negotiate his resignation, reiterating that his position remains grounded in restoring legislative normalcy.
“My position is, and has always been, that we must return to legislative normalcy by removing the illegal suspensions, restoring rightful committee heads, and returning to chambers to discuss all matters, including their complaints, in session,” Koffa insisted.
He further accused Koung of being the “principal mastermind” behind what he described as an “unconstitutional saga.”
The legislative crisis escalated last month when tension brewed between opposing blocs within the House of Representatives leading to the suspension of several lawmakers.
Koffa has since called for their reinstatement, describing the suspensions as illegal and a threat to the rule of law.
Meanwhile, the ‘majority’ continue to insist that Koffa’s leadership has lost legitimacy, and that they too will not rest until he understands that he no longer has their trust.
Koffa also criticized Vice President Koung’s proposed resolution to the impasse, which involved a white ballot for Representative Koon as the Speaker, the passage of the national budget, and discussions about committee leadership after the election of a new Speaker. “I rejected all that,” Koffa stated.
He expressed, “We came to no agreement, and the next day, the Minister of Justice issued an opinion on the court’s ruling, which was clearly written for him.”
Koffa accused the Executive Branch of undermining the rule of law, asserting, “The executive can continue to ignore the rule of law, but I will not waver.” Speaker Koffa insists on upholding the law, while Vice President Koung’s revelations have added a new layer of complexity to an already volatile situation.
