New Castle, Delaware – The National Administration of the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA) has constituted a three-person ad hoc election commission for the conduct of the Association’s national election slated to be held this October in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The election would form part of activities planned for the Association’s 2019 Annual Convention, which will be held in Minnesota beginning October 3rd through the 6th. The National Conference is expected to bring together 300 delegates including ALJA members and international Liberian journalists.
According to an ALJA press release issued on July 11, 2019, the Election Commission is chaired by veteran Liberian journalist, Suah Deddeh. Mr. Deddeh is former President of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL).
ALJA members, Dr. Alexander Redd and Mrs. Kadyatu Konteh Bohiri are Co-chair and Secretary of the Commission respectively. The Commission is charged with the responsibility of formulating guidelines for the election.
The ALJA national positions to be contested are President, Vice President, Treasurer, and General and Assistant Secretary Generals. Also, there will be an election for three permanent members of the ALJA National Board of Directors.
Meanwhile, the National Administration wishes to announce that only registered members of ALJA, who are current with their annual due payments will be eligible to contest and vote in the October election. ALJA’s annual due is $120.00; and the registration fee is $10.00 per journalist.
At the October 2019 election, ALJA current National President, Moses D. Sandy, will not contest. Mr. Sandy’s second two years term as National President will expire this October. He was initially elected in 2015 as National President for a two-year term. In October of 2017, he was re-elected for a second term.
Mr. Sandy is credited for leading the resuscitation efforts of ALJA in 2014 after ten years of dormancy due to internal rivalry amongst the Association’s members. Then he served as Chairman of the reactivation committee.
ALJA is a conglomeration of current and retired Liberian journalists residing in the Americas. It is a 501c (3) non-profit organization. The Association was founded in 1998 in Washington, D.C. with the objectives of fostering companionship amongst its members and their American counterparts.
Also, ALJA is committed to advancing press freedom through media capacity building and the fostering of good governance in Liberia through media advocacy.