With Recast Budget Passage At Stake
Monrovia– The President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has issued a proclamation to extend the special regular session of the 55th National Legislature for a period of one (1) week commencing Friday, September 20, 2024 and ending Thursday, September 26, 2024, a Foreign Ministry press release said at the weekend.
The purpose of the extension of the Legislative sitting is to discuss and act upon critical national issues amongst which is the recast National Budget of the Republic of Liberia.
According to a Foreign Ministry release, the proclamation is in accordance with Article 32(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, which provides that the President shall, on the President’s own initiative or upon receipt of a certificate signed by at least one-fourth of the total membership of each house and by proclamation extend a regular section of the legislature beyond the date of adjournment or call a special section of that body to discuss or act upon matters of national emergency and concern.
The proclamation states that during the special session these critical national issues including the Recast Budget were not fully resolved, and cannot await the return of the Legislature in October 2024, thereby prompting the legislature to again laid before the President another Certificate signed by at least one-fourth of the total membership of each House to extend the special session in order to resolve those issues including the recast Budget.
The proclamation concludes “Now, Therefore, I, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, SR. President of the Republic of Liberia, by virtue of the Authority in me vested, do hereby issue this proclamation extending the special regular section of the 55th legislature for a period of one (1) week, commencing Friday, September 20, 2024, and ending Thursday, September 26, 2024.”