And now to today's house sitting. It was a contentious day in the parliament. That may be because it might have been the last sitting of this administration's term of office so there was a lot of housekeeping - as many as 16 loan motions.
But it started with the Appointment of Auditor General Motion, 2025. That motion appoints MARIA RODRIGUEZ until the year 2047- when she is 65. You heard right, it's a 22 year appointment - and as you might expect, there was some robust debate that also got personal:
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM
"Now therefore be resolved that this honorable house recommends that Maria Rodriguez be appointed as auditor general effective January 1st 2025, until July 28 2047, when she attends the grand age of 65 this motion has the recommendation of the cabinet."
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Miss Rodriguez was promoted illegally twice. Now if something starts wrong usually it continues wrong and it will only end wrong, madam speaker."
"What is happening here is the attempt by this government to continue the dysfunction of the office of the auditor general. Cronyism is when you have these types of appointments for such an important office, madam speaker, such as the auditor general which it is the view of the opposition that this government has deliberately brought to a screeching halt so that there is no oversight, madam speaker. So that they can spend the people's money and engage in purported corruption without having to account to the people, madam speaker."
"And how do you do that? well you appoint one of your cronies. When you start wrong, you continue wrong and now you will end wrong because you will be appointing Miss Rodriguez for until she's 65 which is the next 30 years, madam speaker."
"And what we don't want to have is someone in such a crucial role, madam speaker, giving no oversight to governments, Madam Speaker, being unqualified."
Henry Charles Usher, PUP Fort George
"And while he came in here and talking about or trying to create the impression that the qualifications that Miss Rodriguez had he said it's unsubstantiated, but what I can inform the leader of the opposition that it is a fact that this whole country knows that the doctorate that he claims to have is not in his possession, that he cannot show the country at any point. Want to talk about qualification."
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Madam speaker on a point of order, I have a honorary doctorate from the University of Liberia Madam Speaker. Could you please correct the reord, madam speaker?"
Speaker of the House
"Noted."
Henry Charles Usher, PUP Fort George
"Madam Speaker, it's also a fact within his own party that they have asked him for his high school diploma which he cannot produce as yet."
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"On a point of order."
Speaker of the House
"One second members, please take a seat. Thank you. You stood and you made a point and you stood on your record because your mic was on that you have an honorary doctorate the record has reflected."
"Member for Fort George."
Henry Charles Usher, PUP Fort George
"Madam speaker it is clear, it is very clear that the only objective the leader of the opposition had today was to try to disparage the reputation of a senior public officer who has worked very hard and served this country for a number of years. It's not about appointing anyone who just came in. There is a procedure, the procedure was followed and Miss Rodriguez received the highest score in that interview panel."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I just hope that women across this country hear how he gone after a good woman, a woman that's well qualified, a woman that went through the process and applied for the job and was given the job, not because she's a woman. She got the job because she is the most qualified person."
