MONROVIA-Since Members of the Press Union of Liberia, ( PUL) gathered in the historic City of Gbarnga, Bong County in November 2022, to perform their sacred constitutional duties, there have been calculated attempts by the defeated Campaign of Julius Kanubah to thwart, undermine, and lacerate the Elections’ Results in Gbarnga.
The defeated Team, prior to the conduct of the Press Union of Liberia’s Elective Congress, made some nefarious , unsubstantiated, baseless, groundless, and thoughtless claims that the Voter’s Roll was blotted and flooded with unqualified journalists and that Officials of these Committees were conflicted and as such, were unfit to preside over the Union’s Congress and its elections.
Team Kanubah was given due-process by the Congress and Elective Committees to provide facts to prove claims raised.
But on countless occasions, it was beating around the bush, reneging, and wasting the Committees’ times.
The Team has been dragging its feet and has refused to attend conferences called by these Committees.
Despite all of these internal and administrative remedies provided to urgently iron-out these claims, the defeated Team woefully reneged and failed to turnout.
The Congress and Elective Committees performed their sacred responsibilities and acted within the stipulated period of time. About more than 1, 300 Journalists were qualified and eligible to participate in the Union’s Electoral processes.
Congress, according to the Union’s Constitution, is the supreme-decision making body. It is a membership Plenary and clearing house of policy decisions and operational procedures, including constitutional amendments.
In adherence to Article 10, Section 2, of the PUL’s Constitution which states, Congress shall meet in the second week of November every three years for not less one day and not more than three days and knowing full well that on the last day of Congress shall conduct the election, the Committees acted judiciously.
As Journalists were gearing up to perform such sacred constitutional responsibilities, they were greeted by sad news that Julius Kanubah and his Team have secured injunction to be placed on the election.
After reneging to make use of all internal and administrative remedies provided, Team Kanubah instructed its supporters not to turnout at the Elections in Gbarnga, Bong County.
On the brink of the Election Day in Gbarnga, Bong County, Team Kanubah filed an injunction at the 9th Judicial Circuit Court in the County.
But, the injunction was vacated and elections went on as scheduled.
The elections were organized and supervised by a five-member Elections Commission comprising of Former Officials, Former Executive Committee Members and Active Members who attained the ranks of editors.
There has been a lazy argument proffered by Team Kanubah that the elections held never represented the collective will of all Journalists in the Country.
This weak and watery argument is baseless, because the will of about 400 registered and qualified Journalists prevail and cannot be thwarted, out-turned, and thrown in the dustbin.
The defeated Team has been inundated with legal battles at the Supreme Court of Liberia calling for the cancellation of the elections held in Gbarnga Bong County and the setting-up of an interim leadership.
The Team has embarked on an evil crusade calling on the public not to do business with the current Leadership of Mr. Charles B. Cuffey, Jr, because, according to it, the Leadership has outlived its constitutional time-line thereby clamoring for interim Leadership.
There is no constitutional basis for such a raw, watery, and tasteless falsehood hastily spew out by these miscreants, tyros, misfits, and brainless charlatans.
The Constitution of the Press Union of Liberia remains supreme in these times of perils, uncertainties, discomforts, griefs, conflicts, and internal wranglings.
The Union’s Constitution is silent on the establishment of an interim leadership as anxiously craved for by the defeated Team.
Besides, the Supreme Court of Liberia, which is highest court in the land, is currently looking into the Leadership’s fracas, and as such, any call to setup an interim leadership is baseless, groundless, and thoughtless.
It is also legally prudent, to disengage from such fruitless legal battle. It is a waste of time and an attempt to keep the Union strangulated.
There is no place in the entire constitution that calls for the establishment of an interim leadership when there are matters of electoral disputes.
The Current Leadership still remains legitimate and it enjoys the power entrusted to it by members of the journalism community.
It is clothed with the authority to hold on and conduct its statutory functions until the transition takes places.
Mr. Charles B. Cuffey, Jr., still remains President, Mr. Daniel Nyakonah, remains Vice President, and President-elect, Mr. Musa Kanneh remains Secretary, while Mr. Akoi Barsah remains Assistant and Secretary-General Elect of the Union.
Article 9 Sections, 1,2 and 3 of the Union’s Constitution provide that all elected Officers of the Union shall serve for a period of three years after which they may seek reelection for an additional term. And that after the expiration of a second term in an office, no official shall run for re-election.
Mr. Charles B. Cuffey, Jr., is not running for any elected post in the Union. Cuffey has served his two terms as President of the Union. Mr. Daniel Nyakonah has served one term as Vice President which qualified him to have contested as President, like Akoi M. Barsah, Jr.
The current Leadership is still legitimate and holds on until transition can take place.
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