Senate Pro-Temp Makes Legislative History

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The president Pro-Temp of the Liberian Senate, Albert Tugbe Chie, has for the first time in the history of Liberia remained a sitting Pro-Temp of the Liberian Senate and win a re-election as senator. The Grand Kru County kinsman was recently announced by the NEC as the winner of the senatorial election in the county. His overwhelming victory made him one amongst few senators to retained his space at the legislature. Fourteen members of the Senate sought re-elections, but Senate Pro-Temp Albert Chie stated earlier in 2023 that history has not been kind to senators who had sought re-elections, hoping that 2023 would change the dynamics in getting many senators re-elected. “Most of our seats are up for electoral contestations in the last quarter of this year. Despite years of hard work and constant visitations to constituencies, history has unfortunately never been unkind to Senators seeking re-elections,” he said. “We hope this class will be an exception and the return rate will be high. I urge all of us to work towards this goal, Pro-Temp Chie said.” Contrary to his assertions made, amongst the fourteen senators that sought re-election only four senators were able to retain their seats.  The victory of Pro-Temp Albert Chie has an indelible political record in postwar Liberia. Many other sitting Pro-Temps of the Liberian Senate had gone to elections and didn’t get re-elected. The most recent was Gbehzohngar M. Findley who lost as a sitting Pro-Temp during the Special Senatorial election in 2014. However, it is not yet cleared as to whether the Senate Pro-Temp Albert Chie will still contest in the upcoming Pro-Temp election for the 55th legislature. The constitution of Liberia provides that after every six (6) years the Liberian senate must elect a Pro-Temp to stir the affairs of that August body and Senate Pro-Temp Albert Chie became Pro-Temp on January 15, 2018. If Albert Tugbe Chie contests and wins the Pro-Temp election, he will definitely break James AgeaHimie Jones record who served the longest tenure as president Pro-Temp of the Liberian senate. James A H. Jones served as Pro-Temp for 12 unbroken years from 1944 to 1956. Also, if Albert Tugbe Chie contests the seat and wins for the second time as Pro-Temp he will also be breaking the record of Keikura Bayoh Kpoto who served as President Pro-Temp of the Liberian Senate twice. He first served from February 1989 to September 1990 and was later succeeded by cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine who served from 1997-1999 and later fled the country. Following that, Keikura Bayoh Kpoto succeeded him thus serving as a Pro-Temp for the second time from 1999 to 2002. Pro-Temp Albert Chie comes from southeast Grand Kru County which is one of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation. Grand Kru was organized in 1984 and its capital is Barclayville. The area of the county measures 3,895 square kilometres (1,504 sq mi) and has a population of approximately 60,000 making it one of the least populous counties in Liberia. By: Tarr U.B. Garnett

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