Africa-Press – Liberia. — Interim committee awaits judge’s clarity on ruling
The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has put its elections on hold as the Interim Committee awaits clarification from Resident Judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Gbarnga, Bong County, J. Boima Konto, regarding the ruling on the 2022 disputed election.
The Committee is set to meet with the Judge on Thursday, August 28, following a request to further elaborate on the ruling. As a result of the conference with the Judge, the planned membership meeting was canceled on August 23 to await further guidance.
That means the election, scheduled for Saturday, August 26 at Samuel Kanyon Doe Sport Stadium in Paynesville, was automatically canceled.
After nearly two years of internal election disputes that divided the membership of the Press Union of Liberia, a glimmer of hope emerged in June.
The prolonged instability within the Union necessitated intervention, with the 9th Judicial Circuit Court ultimately issuing a verdict calling for fresh elections and establishing protocols for their conduct. A Joint Interim Committee, mandated by the Court to oversee the PUL revival process was announced in June. The committee has since developed and publicized an electoral roadmap to guide the Union towards a new era.
Despite setting August 24, 2024, as the date for the holding of the union’s new election, the Chair of the Union Interim Leadership, Peter Quaqua, told a mass membership meeting on Friday, August 8, that his team was to seek clarification from the court regarding the nature of the upcoming elections.
The Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Gbarnga, Bong County, nullified the results of the 2022 PUL elections in June 2024, ordering a rerun of the elections by October 18, 2024. The Court mandated an Interim Leadership to oversee the new polls after a thorough cleansing of the contentious voter roll.
Quaqua told the gathering that the Interim Leadership was awaiting clarification from the Judge on whether a total fresh election should be conducted or if the nullified elections from Gbarnga should continue.
Emphasizing the importance of seeking clarity to prevent misunderstandings, he mentioned that the leadership will await the Judge’s return to provide further guidance. In terms of membership documentation, the committee identified duplicated names, incomplete forms, and missing data on the provisional list.
“The Interim Leadership is working diligently to verify and reclassify members based on the Union’s Constitution guidelines. Members are encouraged to provide missing information to ensure accurate records,” he noted.
However, in its Sunday statement, the Interim Committee said that it remains committed to following the Court’s mandate of cleaning up the membership roster to ensure transparency and credibility in the election process.
“The PUL Interim Committee reassures the membership that it remains fully engaged with that thorough implementation of the Court’s mandate of cleaning up the membership roster to pave the way for a transparent and credible election,” the statement said. “The Committee implores all members of the Union to fully support and cooperate with the ongoing process to restore the integrity of the PUL. Following Thursday’s meeting with the Judge, the Committee will provide a progress report to the membership at a date and time to be determined.”
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