IPNEWS: The Leadership of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) in consultation with its Executive Committee and the 2022 Elective Congress Committee has postponed this year’s Congress.
The PUL in a release said that the Congress initially scheduled for Nov 10 to Nov 12 in line with the Union’s Constitution, will now be held from Thursday, Nov 17 to Saturday, Nov 19 in Gbarnga City, Bong County.
The decision according to the statement was reached after the Liberian Government announced that this year’s National Population and Housing Census will kick off on Friday, Nov 10, which falls on the second day of the PUL Congress.
The decision, which was also reached in consultation with the candidates in the pending election, is intended to allow members of the Union across the country as well as invited personalities stay in their localities and be counted.
Meanwhile, all activities of congress including invited guests, speakers, and observers remain intact for the rescheduled date.
Kanubah for PUL President Campaign Team Demands Audit of Voters Roll
It can be recalled the Julius Kanubah for PUL President Campaign Management Team in a press statement on Tuesday, November 1, said it discovered a countless number of irregularities and fraud in the Union’s just-ended membership registration exercise, adding that the full membership identification cards have allegedly been traded to anyone only for the naked quest for power.
“This act of fraud undermines the sanctity of this great institution founded to protect democracy and promote the rule of law,” the statement said.
Next weekend, specifically on November 12, eligible voting members of PUL are expected to converge in Gbarnga, Bong County, to cast their ballot for one of two candidates, in the election, which is expected to be highly contested among Kanubah and Daniel Nyakonah. Nyakonah is the current Vice President, who wants to replace Mr. Charles Coffey, the Union’s current President.
The Kanubah Campaign Team for PUL President statement said it has observed that the PUL, founded more than 50 years ago, has lost its taste and is being hijacked by a few for their selfish desire without any track record of making it a better institution for tomorrow.
The Kanubah Campaign Management Team further said it has written the elections and inauguration committee headed by Attorney Ade Wede Kerkulah on what it said are wanton frauds on the Membership listing.
The team said it has presented a road map to the PUL Elections and Inauguration Management Team to ensure a clean Voters roll for the November 12 elections regarding the credibility and integrity of the membership records after the membership committee confirmed that the voters roll needs cleaning.
PUL two presidential candidates incumbent vice president Daniel Nyakonah hoping to succeed outgoing PUL president Charles Coffey (left) and presidential challenger and hopeful Julius K. Kanubah (right) at the LMDI debate on Monday
According to the Kanubah for PUL President Campaign Management Team’s statement, the membership committee and elections Committee have agreed with team Julius Kanubah that the Union’s 2022 membership records are fraught with irregularities and fraud following examination of evidence.
“In our submission, accompanied by a number of substantial pieces of evidence, the Elections Committee is insisting that the already faulty Membership roll be cleaned by the very Membership Committee that created the mess”, it said.
Meanwhile, the Julius Kanubah National Campaign Management Team’s statement said because of its vested interest in the PUL elections and would want the process to be done by a neutral body, it has made the following recommendations:
The establishment of an independent panel to comprehensively and thoroughly audit the Voters Roll.
That the independent panel be made of two Representatives each from the Reporters Association of Liberia (RAL),
Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL),
Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL),
Publishers Association of Liberia (PAL),
Legislative Press Pool (LEGISPOOL),
Executive Mansion Press Corps,
National Media Council of Liberia (NMCL),
Association of Liberian Community Radios (ALICOR),
National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NACSCL)
That the presidential and vice-presidential candidates designate two representations each to form part of the independent panel.
That this special panel be jointly headed by the National Civil Society Council of Liberia and the National Media Council of Liberia, while the other associations of the Union or auxiliaries serve as members.
Signed by Raymond Zarbay, chairman of the Kanubah Campaign management Team, the statement said it wants the PUL leadership to provide all application forms for newly registered members from 2019 to 2022 to collate and analyze them for verification.
“To our supporters, we ask that you remain calm as we endeavor every necessary framework that will take us to a free, fair, credible and transparent election. We will leave no stone un-turn and if we are not in the position to making sure this is done, our Union will continue to trek the path of dishonesty for the sake of power,” the statement concluded.
