Amid celebrations by some Liberian journalists over what they believe to be free, fair and transparent elections that pulled the union from nearly two years of inertia underpinned by disputes over 2022 election results, the immediate past Vice President of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) is claiming that the Saturday, September 21 poll was “undemocratic and a regrettable instance of misconduct”.
In a statement released today, Nyakonah expressed profound concerns regarding the integrity of the election conducted by former leaders of the Union led by former President Peter Quaqua.
Nyakonah said what transpired during the Special Congress of the Union not only undermines democratic principles but also brings shame to the journalism community in Liberia.
“We must uphold the highest standards of accountability and fairness, and this election falls far short of those ideals,” the former VP said.
Nyakonah said the conductors of the elections are agents who have sowed seeds of deeper divisions within the Union rather than seeking a resolution for long standing problem, particularly in their support for Julius K. Kanubah’s presidency of the Union.
He criticized their decision to seek legal interpretations from a judge outside the 9th Judicial Circuit Court, which had previously ruled on the longstanding election impasse.
“This demonstrates their desperation for control over the Union,” he said further. “It is common sense that a judge not assigned to a court cannot by law interpret the records to direct an election in an important body such as the Press Union of Liberia.”
Nyakonah also raised concerns about the election process itself, noting the troubling inclusion of individuals who had officially resigned from their positions on the ballot, while former leaders Charles B. Coffey, Jr. and Musa Kenneh were omitted from the voters’ roll, represents the depth of fraud that characterized what supposed to be an election.
“This deliberate action silences dissenting voices in an organization that has historically championed democracy in Liberia,” he added.
The Press Union of Liberia has long been recognized as a vital institution for promoting press freedom and safeguarding the rights of journalists but Nyakonah emphasized that the integrity of the Union is compromised under the leadership of Peter Quaqua, Frank Sanworla, Tom Winston Mombo, and their associates.
“We are appalled by how an institution that champions integrity in democracy and governance has gone ahead to conduct an election with one-sided candidates at the objection of several members of the institution, including possible candidates,” he added. “The elections did not demonstrate a contest!”
The defeated presidential candidate noted that he and his supporters are saddened that Mr. Peter Quaqua and team proceeded with the elections despite dissatisfaction over the omission of additional intentional candidates, “and for maintaining us on the ballot after we made it public that we were not interested in moving forward with the electoral process as candidates”.
According to him, “We are particularly concerned because as a conglomeration of journalists and media bodies, society expects our elections to be underlined by integrity, impartiality, fairness and objectivity, given that these are values we champion and expect to see in national elections.”
“What transpired during Saturday, 21 September2024 gathering grossly fell short of these values and undermined every democratic principle. This is a shame to the journalism community in Liberia,” he said.
He further noted: “We must uphold the highest standards of accountability and fairness that we aspire to see in other elections, including national elections – sadly this PUL election is the contrary of what defines democracy.
He emphasized that the most troubling and shameful action of the interim leadership was “our inclusion on the ballot, even though we openly and officially rescinded our candidacy several weeks before 21 September 2024.”