PUL Resurrection Possibly Underway -Trial Court Nullifies Polls, Calls for Rerun in 4 Months

MONROVIA – The Press Union of Liberia (PUL), which was founded 60 years ago and has since found its place in the progressive arena of the nation, joining forces with civic society actors to challenge tyrannies, defending and promoting the rights of the impoverished majority of Liberians, went into near-death experience. While barely on life support for nearly two long years, two groups of its members seeking leadership were clashing over “disputed elections”. The court process had been humiliatingly long particularly for those who thought the absence of such a formidable frontliner in Liberia’s daunting struggle for good governance on the civic and political landscape at the behest of power-seekers, was accounting for and patronizing arbitrariness by political elite. But there was news yesterday that a trial court has mustered the courage to announce or re-announce its judgment, not only nullifying the disputed elections but also ordering a rerun in a few months. The Analyst reports.

It is being reported that J. Judge Kontoe of the 9^th Circuit Court based in Gbarnga, Bong County, ruled in the matter between competing forces of the Press Union of Liberia, ordering the rerun of the 2022 polls, adjudging that the elections were conducted in violation of the Union’s Constitution and the PUL elections Campaign Guidelines.

It can also be recalled that in a landmark ruling on a Motion for Summary Judgment, Judge J. Boima Kontoe, ordered an entire rerun of the PUL 2022 elections on or before October 18, 2024.

According to a release from Team Kanobah, Judge Kontoe has mandated the constitution of an interim committee of seven former presidents of the PUL and four media elders to take over the leadership of the PUL.

The committee of eleven is tasked to conduct fresh, free and fair elections, and to clean the voter roll of the PUL consistent with Article 10 Section 7 of the Union’s Constitution.

The Motion for Summary Judgment was filed on February 26, 2024 by lawyers representing Team Julius Kanubah for the PUL presidency against incumbent Team Daniel Nyakonah.

The motion had sought the Judge rule on the original Petition for Declaratory Judgment filed on November 18, 2022 by Team Kanubah in relation to violations of the PUL Constitution.

The Petition for Declaratory Judgment bordered on violations of the PUL Constitution regarding the failure of the PUL former leadership of Charles Coffey to produce a credible Membership Register.

Team Kanubah complained that rather than producing a Membership Register, Coffey along with the Committees on Membership, Congress, and the sub-Committee on Elections and Inauguration published what they called “voter roll.”

The voter roll produced by Coffey and his allies was flooded with non-journalists and ineligible members, amounting to membership registration fraud – designed and orchestrated to steal the leadership elections of the PUL.

Besides, Coffey and his allies went ahead to stage a Midnight elections of the PUL, from 7:30pm on Saturday (November 19, 2022) to 3:40am on Sunday (November 20, 2022), violating the PUL election campaign guidelines.

Meanwhile, Judge Kontoe has fined the Charles Coffey–Daniel Nyakonah–Musa Kenneh–Akoi Baysah former leadership of the PUL along with the relevant Committee Members, and their lawyer US$300 each, for reckless attitude and disrespect to the Court by refusing to attend trial, despite being served several Court notices.

They were ordered to remit the fine into government coffers within 72 hours, failure upon which would lead to their arrest and detention at the Gbarnga Central Prison.

In the wake of the ruling, Team Kanubah will hold a special press conference on Thursday, June 20, 2024, during the afternoon hours.