MONROVIA: As long last, hundreds of Liberian journalists may be securing the final resurrection of their common fortress, the Press Union of Liberia, which for nearly two years was placed in a near-death state as a result of election disputes that polarized membership into extremely bitter protagonist groups. Nearly all negotiation overtures by well-meaning forces, including respected members of the Union failed save the Liberian court system, specifically the 9th Judicial Circuit Court, which stepped in and finally put asunder the competing parties with a verdict that calls for fresh elections, coupled with the mechanisms for holding them. Now the Joint Interim Committee mandated by the Court to lead the PUL revival process has carved and announced an electoral roadmap, as The Analyst reports.
All roads lead to the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sport Stadium in Paynesville where hundreds of Liberian journalists are expected to hold an Extra-ordinary Congress for the purpose of casting their votes for a new leadership on August 24, 2024.
According to the Joint Interim Committee steering the affairs of the event, journalists will be converging at the iconic premises of the SKD stadium at by 9am to first witness a grand debate by the candidates to be followed immediately by voting.
Ballot counting is by 6pm and announcement of results will be on the same day, August 24 or the early morning hours of August 25.
It can be recalled the outgoing leadership headed by Charles Coffey convened elections two years ago and disagreements erupted over the results—something that plunged the Press Union of Liberia into an unprecedented crisis that could neither cure nor be remedied until Judge Boima Kontoe of the 9th Judicial Circuit Court in Gbarnga Bong County cancelled the election results and called for fresh elections.
He appointed a joint “Interim committee” of seven former leaders and four media elders and charged them with the mandate to clean up the then hotly contested membership roll consistent with Article 10 Section 7 of the Union’s Constitution and conduct fresh election on or before 18 October 2024.
The Court’s ruling came when more than seven former leaders residing in Monrovia and the United States had already been engaged in behind-the-scenes mediation efforts that hardly provided an effect.
Those involved were: Mr. James C. Dennis, Mr. Emmanuel Abalo, Rev. Suah Deddeh, Mr. James G. Kaizolu, Ms. Elizabeth Hoff, Mr. Charles Coffey, Mr. Malcolm Joseph, Mr. Nathan Bengue, Mr. Jacob Parley, Ms. Melissa Chea-Annan, Mr. Frank Sainworla, Mr. Winston Monboe, Mr. Alphonsus Zeon, Mr. D. Kaihenneh Sengbeh, Dr. Samuel Wai Johnson and Peter Quaqua.
In a statement produced by the Joint Interim Committee, a core group of seven ordered by the Court include Mr. James Kaizolu, Mrs. Elizabeth Hoff, Mr. Malcolm Joseph, Frank Sainworla, Winston Monboe, Jacob Parley and Peter Quaqua.
Though the court did not mention names when it said four media elders, just as it did not name any former leader, the Joint Committee however noted it has taken seize of the matter, declaring that the former leaders decided who the four elders would be among themselves.
“In determining the four, it was agreed that elders are those who have worked in the media for many years and are respected and influential,” the Committee said further. “Hence, the exercise led to the selection and consent of Prof. Weade Kobbah-Boley of the University of Liberia, Mr. Peter Kahler of the Liberia News Agency, Mrs. Helen Nah-Sammie of the Women Voices Newspaper, and Mr. Teah Doegmah, Chairman/ ALICOR Board of Directors.”
Recounting its mandate, the joint Interim Committee said the Court ordered the Interim Committee to “take over the leadership of the Press Union of Liberia to clean the voter roll consistent with Article 10 Section 7 of the Press Union of Liberia Constitution to conduct fresh free and fair elections.”
Said the Committee in its statement published July 12, 2024: “This clause in the Constitution concerns the Union’s membership, which was the bone of contention. For the record, Article 10 Section 7 says: ‘The Membership Committee, with the approval of the PUL leadership, shall publish in not less than two local dailies registered members of the Union not later than 30 days before Congress. Lists of all registered members of the Union shall be disaggregated into categories of membership: males and females; due paying and non-due paying (delinquent) members; editors, reporters, etc.’”
A Call for Calm
The Joint Interim Committee has also been imploring journalists, including those who took side in the electoral imbroglio, to remain calm and embrace one another.
“These are extraordinary times in our Union history, requiring extraordinary measures to get the PUL working again,” said the Committee. “As we mentioned in our first statement, we are all losers. After 19 months of near inactivity, we must all reason together to redeem ourselves.”
Continuing, the committee noted: “Ours is a moral authority acknowledged by the Court. We will proceed carefully and openly, remaining respectful of your views and disagreements. We expect the same of you all. Please cooperate!”
The Committee said if everything remains constant, it would remain keen on inducting the new leaders by the end of August.
“During this period, only designated members of this Interim Committee are authorized to speak on behalf of the Union on any matter whatsoever,” the committee said.
Other key dates of the electoral roadmap as announced include: 4 Jul, inception meeting between the former leaders and media elders; discussions/approval on the timetable; 5 July, request the existing membership roster from the PUL secretariat; 12 July, unveiling the Interim Committee and Timetable to the membership; 12 July, revised timetable after feedback from the membership meeting and 15 July, release/Publish final Timetable and Guidelines.
The rest of key dates also are: 15 – 20 July, commencement of screening/cleaning of membership roll; 22 July, publication of the provisional membership roll in two newspapers and PUL bulletin board at PUL Headquarters; 22-31 July, challenges/protests; 1- 6 August, hearings into complaints against names on the list; 7 Aug, the final membership roll is published in two newspapers and on the PUL bulletin board at PUL Headquarters; 8 -14 August, EOI/application for positions; 15 Aug, publish a list of all applicants/aspirants; 16-19 August, challenges/protests against applicants; hearings/vetting of applicants/aspirants; 20 Aug, release the final list of qualified candidates, and campaign opening.
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