LIBERIAN LEGISLATIVE CRISIS: SPEAKER SNOWE RESIGNS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 MONROVIA 000221

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
STATE FOR AF/W-PDAVIS AND INR/AA-BGRAVES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2017
TAGS: KDEM PGOV LI
SUBJECT: LIBERIAN LEGISLATIVE CRISIS: SPEAKER SNOWE RESIGNS

REF: A. MONROVIA 00184

B. MONROVIA 00127

C. MONROVIA 00106

D. MONROVIA 0083

E. MONROVIA 0069

F. MONROVIA 0065

Classified By: Political Officer Silvia Eiriz for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).


1. (C) Summary. Edwin Snowe resigned as Speaker of the House
of Representatives February 15, but retained his position as
a member of the House. At a press conference announcing his
resignation, Snowe urged the international community and the
Council of Churches to investigate allegations of bribery of
legislators in exchange for support to remove him from office
and said he would call for a neutral committee of lawmakers
to conduct an investigation into the bribery charges. Snowe
warned that attempts to protect the "person or office" behind
the bribery endangers Liberia's fragile democracy and
characterized the relationship with President Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf as having deteriorated from "policy differences to
personal hatred." Representative James Biney (NPP, Maryland
County) told Poloff February 15 that the House of
Representatives received Snowe's resignation letter just as
it was adjourning its February 15 session. Representative
Bhofal Chambers (UP, Maryland County) told Poloff February 16
that Snowe's resignation was accepted at a February 16
Special Session of the House. Representative Vinicius Hodges
(LP, Grand Bassa) told Poloff February 15 that at a February
14 meeting with supporters, Snowe had decided to preside at
the February 15 session of the House in order to force
discussion of the bribery issue and resign when a resolution
to remove him was introduced. Hodges said Snowe called him
on February 15 to advise that he had decided to resign that
day and suggested that someone "high up" had convinced Snowe
to do so. Representatives Biney, Chambers, and Hodges said
the House will hold an election to fill the position of
Speaker and Biney and Chambers forecast that the election
would be held within approximately 3 weeks. End Summary.


2. (U) Edwin Snowe resigned as Speaker of the House of
Representatives February 15, but retained his elected
position as a member. (See text of resignation letter in
paragraph 7.) At a press conference held at his residence,
Snowe announced that his resignation was "squarely based on
upholding the rule of law" and was intended to "save himself,
his family, and his life." He stated that he does not enjoy
the confidence of the majority of the legislators and they do
not enjoy his confidence. He said that the 18 legislators
who had supported him since the House of Representatives
reconvened from recess January 15 were not parties to the
January 29 Supreme Court decision reinstating him as Speaker
(See Reftel B) and were free to make a political decision
about joining the rest of the legislators in future House
sessions at the Unity Conference Center (UCC). Snowe called
on the international community and the Council of Churches to
investigate allegations of bribery of legislators in exchange
for support to remove him from office (See Reftels A, B, C,
D, E, and F). Snowe said he would "remain resolute" in
investigating the bribery allegations and would call for a
neutral committee of lawmakers (excluding those who signed
the resolution removing him as Speaker) to conduct an
investigation. Snowe warned that attempts to protect the
"person or office" behind the bribery endangers Liberia's
fragile democracy. Snowe characterized his relationship
with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as having deteriorated
from "policy differences to personal hatred."


3. (C) Representative Vinicius Hodges (LP, Grand Bassa) told
Poloff February 15 that Snowe had met with him and other
legislators supporting Snowe in a 4-hour meeting on February

14. Hodges said they decided that Snowe would preside at the
February 15 session of the House of Representatives in order
to ensure discussion of the bribery allegations in plenary
and that Snowe would resign when a resolution removing him
from the office of Speaker was brought to the floor. Hodges
said Snowe called him February 15 and said he would resign
later in the day because "his conscience" would not allow him
to preside over the House session at the UCC since it would
contravene the January 29 Supreme Court decision. Hodges
opined that someone "high up" must have convinced Snowe to
resign. Hodges expressed "disappointment" that "lawmakers
are acting like lawbreakers" by not respecting the rule of
law. He warned that such behavior had plunged Liberia into
civil war and "that another one will take place if we are not
careful." Hodges said he would resign his seat if his party
had a stronger candidate to run in an election to replace
him. He noted that he is not a supporter of Snowe and would
have been in favor of removing him as Speaker, but objected
to the way it was done. Hodges said that from the floor of
the House he will ask for an independent investigation into

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the bribery allegations, even though he believes his
legislative colleagues will not agree. He said any
investigation by the House Judiciary Committee into the
bribery allegations will be a "sham." Hodges said the
"credibility, integrity, independence, and morality" of the
House of Representatives have been called into question and
the lower chamber will become a "rubber stamp" for the
executive.


4. (C) Representative James Biney (NPP, Maryland County) told
Poloff February 15 that the House of Representatives received
Snowe's resignation letter just as it was adjourning its
February 15 session. He said he does not think Snowe will
attend the House's next session on February 20. Biney, who
supported the January 18 resolution removing Snowe that the
Supreme Court declared null and void, said the bribery
allegations must be investigated and that the precedent is
that the legislature investigates its members who are charged
with misconduct. Biney said he would not object to the
appointment of an independent committee to examine the
bribery charges if its procedures were clear. Biney said the
House of Representatives has become "less credible" to
Liberian citizens and it must prove that it is not under
undue influence by the President.


5. (C) Representative Bhofal Chambers (UP, Maryland County)
told Poloff February 16 that Snowe's resignation was accepted
at a February 16 Special Session of the House of
Representatives. Chambers said 32 legislators attended the
Special Session; 30 voted to accept Snowe's resignation, 1
abstained, and 1 did not vote. Chambers said Snowe did not
attend the Special Session. Chambers described the events in
the House of Representatives since it reconvened on January
15 as "democracy in action" and said it is positive that "the
guns are not speaking." Chambers said he does not believe
that citizens' confidence in the legislature has been
dampened, noting that the capacity of members of Congress to
explain legislative procedures to the public needs to be
improved. Chambers stated that the governing Unity Party
(UP) has not yet decided whether it will put forth a
candidate for Speaker and said he believes it should not do
so "unless dramatic events" unfold. Chambers said it is
important to have someone who supports democracy as Speaker.
Chambers told Poloff that he did not take any money to
support Snowe's removal as Speaker and that he does not
believe any other legislators did so. However, he believes
that the allegations of bribery should be investigated and
said the precedent is that the legislature investigates its
members who are charged with misconduct. Chambers said that
the House Judiciary Committee's investigation into the matter
will be "objective." Chambers described Snowe as
"Machiavellian and traumatized" and as "a desperate man who
needs counseling." Chambers said that the best thing Snowe
could do would be to also resign as a member of the House of
Representatives and did not rule out Snowe's expulsion if he
does not attend House sessions at the UCC.


6. (SBU) Representatives Biney, Hodges, and Chambers said the
House will hold an election to fill the position of Speaker.
Biney and Chambers forecast that the election would be held
within approximately 3 weeks. Biney and Hodges mentioned the
following members of the House as candidates to replace Snowe
as Speaker: Edward Forh (CDC, Montserrado),Armah Sarnor (LP,
Gbarpolu),Elijah Seah (APD, River Gee),Bhofal Chambers (UP,
Maryland),Emmanuel Nuquay (Independent, Margibi),and
Kettehkumuehn Murray (CDC, Montserrado). Chambers told
Poloff February 16 that he is not a candidate. Murray
presided over the legislators meeting separately from Snowe
at the UCC. A January 23 article in Liberia's "New Democrat"
newspaper stated that Murray is wanted by the FBI for
attempted rape. Legatt advised Embassy that there are
currently no outstanding arrest warrants in the USA against
Murray. According to court documents, arrest warrants for
Murray were dismissed by the North Carolina State Assistant
District Attorney in March 2006 and by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation in May 2006.


7. (U) Begin text of Snowe resignation letter.

February 15, 2007
The Honorable Members of the House of Representatives
The 52nd National Legislature
Republic of Liberia

Honorable Members:
I wish to recall that on the 22nd day of January 2007, Her
Honor, Madam Justice Gladys K. Johnson issued the Alternative
Writ of Prohibition, based on my Petition for the Writ of
Prohibition, ordering that your attempt to oust me from the
office of Speaker of the House of Representatives should be
temporarily enjoined and that I remain the Speaker of the
House of Representatives pending your filing of Returns to my

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Petition and a full hearing. You were also temporarily
prohibited and enjoined from disturbing the status quo of the
National Legislature at the time that its agricultural break
was taken pending the disposition of the Prohibition
proceedings.

Because of the constitutional issues raised in the Petition
and your Returns, the Prohibition proceeding was venued
before the Supreme Court en banc, before whom arguments were
subsequently entertained. On the 29th day of January j2007
the Supreme Court unanimously rendered its Opinion and Final
Judgment granting the Peremptory Writ of Prohibition, which
declared your attempt to oust me from the office of Speaker
of the House of Representatives unconstitutional, null and
void ab initio. In its Opinion, the Supreme Court
specifically addressed the issue of venue for the seating of
the House of Representatives and the entire National
Legislature, which issue was squarely raised in any Petition
for the Writ of Prohibition and argued extensively by counsel
for both sides. And on this issue of venue, after having
referred several times in the Opinion to the Unity Conference
Center being situated in the Township of Virginia, the
Supreme Court refereed the parties to Article 40 of the
Constitution and emphasized that the House of Representatives
and the entire National Legislature shall always sit in the
city. Moreover Volume IV of the Liberian Codes Revised
Chapter I Section 3 of the Legislative Law Revised 1999
provides that the Legislature shall meet and do legislative
business in the Capitol City of Monrovia, the Seat of
Government.

Your initial response to the Supreme Court's Opinion and
Judgment was to ignore and defy it; but apparently on second
thought, you decided to honor only that portion regarding
your unconstitutional and illegal attempt to oust me from the
office of Speaker of the House of Representatives. Your
response was to "reinstate" me to the office of Speaker of
the House of Representatives, not even realizing that the
effect of the Supreme Court's Opinion and Judgment is that I
was never removed from that office. And since I was never
removed from office, you could not "reinstate me." That is,
I have always been the Speaker of the House of
Representatives of the 52nd Legislature and remain so, in the
eyes of the law and the Constitution, as at the writing of
this letter.

As to the portion of the Supreme Court's Opinion regarding
the venue for proceedings of the House of Representatives and
the entire National Legislature, you have flagrantly ignored
and defied the Supreme Court - the highest court of our land.
You have continued to meet and deliberate at the Unity
Conference Center within the Township of Virginia even though
the Supreme Court clearly confirmed Article 40 of the
Constitution that the House of Representatives and the entire
National Legislature shall meet in the same city.

I have endeavored to have you see reason to subscribe to the
Rule of Law, to honor and respect the Opinion and Judgment of
our Supreme Court but to no avail. On one occasion I even
considered the possibility of joining you at the Unity
Conference Center to prevail upon you to return to Monrovia,
which is, by law, the seat of Government of the Republic of
Liberia, to conduct the affairs of the House of
Representatives; but it dawned upon me later from agitations
from my constituents, that my joining you would have been
both in violation of Article 40 of the Constitution and an
affront to the Honorable Supreme Court and its Opinion and
Judgment of the 29th day of January 2007. So I did not join
you at the Unity Conference Center to plea with you to return
legislative deliberations to the legal seat of Government and
since then, my renewed attempts to have you comply with the
Opinion and Judgment of the Supreme Court have been rebuffed.

It is clear to me that I will not succeed in convincing you
to comply and subscribe to the Rule of Law and to honor and
respect the Opinion and Judgment of the Supreme Court in all
its ramifications. On the other hand, I am unprepared to
violate any provision of the Constitution, which I took the
oath to uphold and defend when I was sworn into office as
Speaker of the House of Representatives; and I am equally
unprepared to disobey, disrespect and ridicule the Supreme
Court and its Opinion and Judgment as you are doing by your
continuous seating at the Unity Conference Center in the
Township of Virginia.

I sincerely believe that Liberia, as a country, should be our
principal interest as public servants; political
grandstanding and intellectual arrogance should never ever
cause any public servant to lose sight of the greater
interest of the Liberian people; and certainly, personal
aggrandizement, personal ambitions or motivations should not
cause us to sidestep the "good" that our beloved country

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deserves after so many years of civil conflict.

So as I will not capitulate to illegality and
unconstitutionality, and as you are determined to continue
your utter disregard and contempt for the Supreme Court's
Opinion and Judgment , and considering that you together
constitute the majority of the House of Representatives, I am
constrained to submit my resignation from the office of the
Speaker of the House of Representatives. And I hereby submit
this letter as my official resignation.

I pray to the Almighty God that within a reasonable period,
the wisdom will be bestowed upon you to realize that it is
only through adherence to the Rule of Law and honoring the
judgment of the courts of our land that we can truly restore
peace to our beloved Patrimony, unite our people bring
development and prosperity to everyone, irrespective of
ethnicity, social background or connection, religion or creed.

I urge you to have the General Services Agency and other
relevant Government agency(ies) take an inventory of all
properties of the Liberian Government assigned to me as
Speaker of the House of Representatives and to take delivery
of same at its earliest convenience.

May God Almighty continue to bless our country and guide us.

Kind regards,
Edwin Melvin Snowe, Jr.


8. (C) Comment. Snowe's resignation breaks the stalemate
that has existed since January 15 in the House of
Representatives. However, tensions are high among members of
the House and this saga is not over. The next chapter will
be played out in the election of Snowe's successor. End
Comment.
Mazel