–Says Union at All Times Has to Be Clearly and Unambiguously Exemplary

IPNEWS-Monrovia: As members of the Press Union of Liberia go to Congress in Gbarnga in Bong County, where the Congress is among other things expected to focus on the financial and administrative reports of the leadership of the Union during the last three years, as well as expected to discuss the transformation of the National Media Council to an Independent Media Commission, proposed constitutional amendments, and adopt a resolution, a longest-serving member of the union, Mr. Jonathan Paye-Layleh has called on the PUL leadership to put a hold on the election aspect of the Congress until all concerns raised by a contending candidate and his team regarding the process leading to the elections are amicably resolved.

A practical empty hall in Gbarnga where the PUL Congress is taking place

In a statement issued in Monrovia under the title: “My Advice to PUL Leaders and Members about Planned Elections”, Mr. Paye-Layleh, who is also a former president, Press Club, PUL; former chairman, PUL Grievance & Ethics Committee; former member, PUL Election Committee; and former, PUL Mediation Committee in the Rodney Sieh-Chris Toe Case, says he is troubled by the ongoing election-related controversy in the Union as it goes to the poll, and has called for intervention and understanding that will get the matter amicably resolved in the interest of the oneness that has kept the journalist body together over the years.

“After doing some extensive consultations with the leadership of the Union, those tasked to conduct this year’s congress and the party that has issues with the process, I hereby appeal to the membership to place the electoral aspect of the congress ON HOLD until the concerns that have brought out the controversy are looked into, addressed and a final decision made,” Mr. Paye-Layleh said in his statement.

According to one of the longest-serving PUL members, “Other aspects of the convention, including the report from the outgoing president, can go ahead and then a team of seasoned journalists (who necessarily do not hold positions in the Union or its auxiliaries) be set up to work with the outgoing president of the Union to expeditiously investigate the voter roll concerns the other party has, come out with a finding and then recommend to the national membership when the elections should be held.”

He then notes: “This, in my opinion, is possible before the end of December 2022.”

Mr. Paye-Layleh disclosed that he would have given the advice long ago if he had been invited as a PUL stakeholder to find a way around the controversy growing out of the concerns a party to the ongoing convention has. “Besides, I had wanted the appointed committee to which those concerns were directed to be given a chance to do their work void of interference. But with elections set to happen on Saturday, November 19, and indications that the issues have not yet been fully resolved, I have to now make those points,” he adds.

According to him, “I have this morning spoken with the PUL President, the Convention Committee Chairperson and a representative of the aggrieved party, letting them know my position.”

The former BBC Liberian correspondent maintains, “The Press Union of Liberia, as a leading civil society actor in the advocacy of fairness and transparency, should continue to be clearly and unambiguously exemplary and conduct itself in ways that it would have grounds to have positions in the event similar situations occur in future national and legislative elections.”

He comments further: “We need to be seen as having our house in order, holding together and doing the right things to have reasons to speak out when things are going wrong in the greater society.”

Concluding Mr. Paye-Layleh states: “It’s costly organizing those conventions, and suspending certain aspects so abruptly hurts; but it is even more costly and hurtful if one process leaves us a divided union. So I suggest we give whichever side that has an issue the benefit of the doubt by looking into whatever concerns they have so that at the end of the day, we are convinced the right thing has been done. Let me close by asking the party that is aggrieved to engage the outgoing president of the Union and the convention committee for discussions around those issues.”

Low Turnout at PUL Congress in Gbarnga

Team Kanubah has raised series of concerns that yet unresolved

It can be recalled the media reports that a possible reason for the low turnout could be a brewing disenchantment on the part of Julius Kanubah, who is one of two leading contenders for the PUL presidency.

Kanubah, in a statement issued Thursday (November 15, 2022) afternoon, urged his supporters and PUL members at large to stay away from all congress and election activities organized by the outgoing PUL administration, led by Charles Coffey and Daniel Nyakonah, president and vice president, respectively.

Kabubah’s statement first claims that the decision to postpone the PUL Congress from November 10 and 11, to November 17 and 18, was done “unilaterally … using the publicly declared National Census Day (Friday) as an alibi. This postponement was done without our input as leading candidates for the Presidency and Vice Presidency of our Union.”

Further, according to Kanubah, “The outgoing Coffey-Nyakonah leadership has failed to produce and publish any credible Membership Register of the PUL for 2022, despite occupying and serving the Union for nine (9) solid years. 

“Their failure is similar to the ugly situation of 2019, which, based on a fraudulent Membership Register, led to a rigged electoral process even before the day of voting; thereby producing an illegitimate leadership,” Kanubah complained, an calling on his supporters to “stay clear of any and all activities surrounding the 2022 PUL Congress.”

“In the face of the repeated systematic violations of the Constitution of the PUL in relation to the convening of the 2022 Congress by the Coffey–Nyakonah leadership, we would like to again inform and urge all our supporters, members of the Press Union of Liberia, and those interested in the democratic development of the PUL and Liberia to stay put and stay clear of any and all activities surrounding the 2022 PUL Congress. 

“Staying put and staying clear of the Congress means, please do not venture going to Gbarnga as yet, as doing so, would amount to condoning and crowning an illegitimate process, characterized by fraud and being orchestrated by what is revealing itself to be a network of fraudsters,” Kanubah said.