Opposition Lawmakers in the House of Parliament have demanded an apology from LiberianLeader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf over recent statement made on the passage of the Threshold Bill.

At the state of nation address to the National Legislature on Monday, January 26, 2010, President Sirleaf said she would be less responsible if she did not point out the consequences of settling the threshold at 40,000, a level which she said threaten the survival of the State and development.

The population threshold was placed at 4,000 per constituency after long period of debate by Lawmakers in the House of Parliament. The delay which resulted to continuous pressure from the public was controversially passed amidst strong condemnation from some cycle.

At a joint news conference yesterday in Monrovia, the opposition Lawmakers through their spokesman, Bong County and NPP Representative George Mulbah said the statement by President Sirleaf suggests that members of the Legislature acted recklessly when they set the threshold at 40,000, the statement which they considered as affront to their integrities.

Representative George Mulbah, “In the spirit of national reconciliation, we demand apology, absence of which we will be constrained to seek remedy under the constitution and standing rules of the Legislature”.

Commenting on President Sirleaf declaration of intent for the Nation’s highest seat, the Presidency, Mr. Mulbah said, “we the opposition Lawmakers in the House of Representatives deem it not prudent and an affront to this honorable House that the President would use the Annual Message to declare her intention to contest the 2011 elections that, by so doing turned the Honorable Chambers into political rally ground, thereby desecrating our sacred chamber”.

On the issue of dual citizenship, Representative Mulbah asserts “the pronouncement of the President to submit a bill to amend existing laws on retirement is a development, however, her intention to include cabinet members, County Superintendents and heads of Public Corporations who have no defined tenure is unacceptable.

The Lawmakers however resolved to include the President statement on the agenda of the National Legislature for possible debate and deliberation.