Montserrado, Liberia – The Interim Committee of the Press Union of Liberia is set to appear before Judge Golda A. Bonah-Elliott on Monday, September 23, for a crucial conference stemming from a Petition for Declaratory Judgment filed by dissatisfied members of the Union.
This legal development comes after the order was served on Friday, September 20, at 4:33 PM, compelling the Committee to attend the conference at 1 PM on Monday.
The upcoming conference is expected to address the grievances raised by the aggrieved members and could have significant implications for the future of the Union.
Following the conference, the Interim Committee plans to convene with recently elected officers to kick-start preparations for the induction ceremony scheduled for September 30, 2024.
This situation follows a ruling on June 18 by Resident Judge Boimah Konto of the 9th Judicial Circuit Court, which mandated the formation of the Interim Committee. Comprised of seven former leaders of the Union and four respected media elders, the Committee was tasked with cleaning up the voter roll in accordance with Article 10, Section 7 of the Press Union of Liberia Constitution.
Additionally, they are responsible for conducting a rerun of the disputed November 2022 election by October 18, 2024.
Meanwhile, the Press Union of Liberia (PUL, through the interim Committee on Saturday, September 21, 2924, concluded its extraordinary Congress at Effort Baptist Church School. With the theme, “A People United Can Never Be Defeated: Let’s Reclaim Our Space,” the Congress aimed to elect new leaders to steer the Union forward.
The election commission for the 2024 Extraordinary Congress,comprised of Teah A. Doegmah, Hellen Nah Sammie, and Ernest K. Meccay, oversaw the voting process. Chairperson Teah A. Doegmah announced the results, declaring Julius KullieKanubah as the new president of the Press Union, with Beatrice elected as vice president. Akoi Baysah secured the position of secretary, while Julius DI Maria Konton was named assistant secretary.
Julius Kullie Kanubah received a total of 185 votes for the presidency, while Beatrice garnered 160 votes for the vice presidency. Akoi Baysah received 163 votes for secretary, and Julius DI Maria Konton obtained 115 votes for assistant secretary. Notably, Daniel Nyakonah received 29 votes for the presidency, and Bettie Johnson Mbayo secured 33 votes for the vice presidency.
The election saw a total of 1,236 ballots printed, with 216 ballots cast. The process included 19 non-votes and three invalid votes for the vice presidency, along with one invalid vote for the presidency.
