LIBERIA – The President of the Republic, H. E. Dr. George Manneh Weah, is calling to work with members of the 54th National Legislature for a special legislative session.
A Proclamation issued Tuesday, August 9, 2022, called the legislators to “a Special Session of the 54th Legislature for a period of thirty (30) days; beginning Monday, August 15, 2022, to Tuesday, September 13, 2022, to discuss or act upon matters of national emergency.”
President Weah asserted in the Proclamation that it was a matter of national exigency that the lawmakers returned to the session. “Whereas there still exist some time-bound critical national issues which must be resolved as a matter of urgency, and cannot await the return of the Legislature in October 2022, including inter all, the appointment of a new Chief Justice, setting of a new census date, the passage of the amendment to the New Elections Law, and ratification and passage of other significant instruments pending before the Legislature, especially agreement is of economic nature”, he noted.
Article 32(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia provides that the President of Liberia has the sole prerogative to issue a proclamation, calling a special or extraordinary session of the Legislature to discuss or act upon matters of national emergency and concern.
By law, the Fifth Session of the National Legislature should have adjourned on the 15th day of July 2022, but under Article 32(b) of the Constitution, the date of adjournment was extended by the Legislature for a period of one (1) week, from July 16, 2022, to July 22, 2022, to allow the Legislature to discuss and act upon several legislation of time-sensitive nature and others center on integrity, transparency, and accountability.
The Second Constituency visit/break of the Legislature shall commence not later than the third Friday of July of each year and end on the second Friday of October of each year, according to the Act repealing An Act to Amend Section 1 of An Act fixing the Day for the Annual Adjournment of the Legislature of the Republic of Liberia, and to establish in lieu thereto An Act Setting the calendar of Adjournment for the Legislature, provided at Section 2 Second Adjournment (Second Constituency visit/break).
