The Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Prof. Albert T. Chie, has condemned the lies being propagated by individuals with little or no understanding of the issues contained in the proposed New public Health Law, as it relates to abortion, expressing dismay in what he described as the interference of their legislative process.
Pro-Temp Chie pointed out that there is no stand-alone bill on abortion before the Senate, as is being conceived in some quarters; rather, there is a new chapter in the New Public Health Bill on sexual and reproductive health, which addresses issues like sex education, family planning and abortion.
“For the record, it is imperative that I state that the bill came to the Senate from the Honorable House of Representatives for our concurrence. Joint public hearings were conducted by the Committees on Health of both Chambers before the House passed on it. At the Senate, several consultations and public hearings have been held and we have not arrived at a final version for the final approval of the Senate Plenary. The bill has been at the Legislature since February 2020 and is, therefore, not a new legislative instrument,” Pro-Temp Chie clarified.
According to him, the proposed Public Health Law contains many contemporary issues important to healthcare delivery other than the issue of abortion, contained in the bill, especially the challenges experienced and knowledge gained from the Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The bill contains issues on bio-security and bio-safety, improvements on occupational health, provisions on foods and other products for infants and young children, new chapter on traditional alternative medicines, new provision for emergency treatment, and more,” he explained.
Senator Chie’s statement was contained in his remarks at the opening of the special session of the Legislature on August 22, 2023.
The Liberian Senate is convening for a special session to consider time-bound matters of national interest, in line with Article 32(b) of the 1986 Constitution. Among other matters, the Senate is expected to look into the proposed Public Health Law, passage of the free tuition act, continuation of the confirmation process for nominated commissioners of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), ratification of an amended mineral development agreement, as well as other urgent matters of national interest, which will be sent to the Legislature from the Executive or matters originating from the Senate’s floor.
However, Senator Chie disclosed that primary on the Senate agenda for the special session is the issue of election. He said the National Elections Commission (NEC) will be cited to provide information on its total preparedness for the conduct of the legislative and presidential elections on October 10, 2023, including the issue of security in elections.