By Precious D. Freeman
The Supreme Court has with immediacy assigned all tenure cases before it for hearing on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 11:00 AM.
Legal pundits believe that the decision of the Supreme Court to set an earlier date to hear the cases is to resolve the constitutional ramifications in the matters, in the wake of claims and counterclaims raised by both the petitioners and respondents is timely.
Notable amongst the cases is the Edwina Crump Zackpah, Chairperson, Israel Akinsanya, James Gbarwea, Zatowon Titus, and Osborne Diggs, Commissioners, of the Liberia Telecommunication Authority, versus the Republic of Liberia, the Ministry of Justice and all prosecutors along with Abdullah Kamara, Patrick Honnah, Clarence Kortu Massaquoi, Ben A. Fofana, and Angela Bush Cassel.
It can be recalled that when the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government, upon ascending to power in 2018, proposed a bill to remove tenure positions within the Executive Branch of the Liberian Government, except those mandated by the Constitution, the current ruling Unity Party was one of the loudest that opposed the move.
This move was met with strong opposition from the public and the opposition bloc, who criticized it as an extension of dictatorial tendencies.
The bill, which was viewed as giving the President more control over appointed officials and the Executive Branch, was heavily criticized by the public, especially by opposition political leaders.
Despite support from the House, the bill did not receive approval from the Senate.
Some lawmakers and analysts raised concerns about the potential impact of removing tenure positions on key institutions and the legality of the move. With such a move, President George Weah was branded by some sections of the public and opposition leaders as a man wearing a dictatorial garment.
