MONROVIA, Montserrado – The Senate has reinforced guidelines for confirming executive nominees in keeping in line with the constitution.

The constitution empowers the Senate to approve government officials appointed by the president.

Jarlawah A. Tonpo, director for press at the Senate, in a press statement issued on Tuesday, January 23, said that members of that body will shortly begin the confirmation proceedings of government officials as soon as the list of nominees is submitted to them.

Tompo said the Senate would also follow a set of guidelines approved on January 18.

According to the guidelines, there shall be formal public hearings for all officials to the rank of statutory districts superintendents.

“Other methods of vetting shall be applied to nominees below the rank of statutory districts superintendents,” the release noted. Such vetting, according to the guidelines, should be consistent with the constitution, adding “only Liberian citizens shall be confirmed.”

The guidelines also clarify that the “cost associated with any confirmation process shall be borne by the Senate.”

Additionally, offers of gifts to committee members is grounds for disqualifying nominees. Moreover, testimonies given by nominees are expected to be factual as “misstatement or falsification of the truth shall be deemed perjury and prosecutable under the laws Liberia.”

The Senate has said that the confirmation process will consist of background checks of nominees, to confirm credentials, experiences, performance at previous areas of employment, and behavior in society.

Accordingly, the Senate is requesting the public to send in any pertinent information on any nominee to the office of the secretary of the Senate.

Weah has already submitted names of four nominated individuals who require the Senate’s approval. One of those – Charles Gibson for the post of minister of justice – has been revealed by the Daily Observer to have had his law license suspended by the Supreme Court.

According to the report, the Liberia National Bar Association’s Grievance and Ethics Committee “had charged Gibson for misleading his client on whose behalf he had instituted a series of lawsuits to recover loans and other obligations from his customers.”

Featured photo by Lloyd Massah