MONROVIA — The much-heralded elections for the national leadership of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) did go ahead on Saturday, March 2, 2024. The body that had been legally set aside to oversee the process so that its legitimacy is upheld had informed the legal representations of the conflicting parties that it was not participating in the process because “there were no serious or substantial considerations accorded the needs and requirements necessary to ensure popular and inclusive participation of the Union’s member organizations and chapters.”
The ULAA Elections Commission, led by Bartee C. Togba, in a press release issued on February 29, 2024, said, “The Elections Commission acknowledges that general election for the Union’s national officers, is scheduled on Saturday, March 2, 2024, pursuant [to] court order resulting from the ongoing litigation in the Union. The Commission also recognizes that counsels were ordered as parliamentarians to work with the Elections Commission to conduct these elections. “Meanwhile, the Commission wishes to clarify that despite these orders by the court, counsels have not meaningfully worked with the Commission to ensure that free, fair, and credible elections are held on the scheduled date. Additionally, there were no serious or substantial consideration accorded the requirements necessary to ensure popular and inclusive participation of the Union’s member organizations and chapters.
“In view of all of the above and sundry, the Commission wishes to inform all candidates, representatives of candidates, chapters of the Union, and heads of chapters, member organizations, and the public that the Commission will not participate in these elections. The Commission’s position has been expressed to the court through counsels/parliamentarians.”
According to reports, even though the ULAA Elections Commission’s lack of participation in the process casts a negative spell on the legitimacy of the outcome, the other party to the conflict still went ahead to participate.
It is well known that the ULAA Elections Commission wasn’t the only institution that boycotted the process as a result of everything not being properly in place for the election to take place.
On March 1, 2024, the Executive Council of the Liberian Community Association of the Washington DC Metropolitan Area (LCA-DC) pulled out of participating in the process, too.
LCA-DC President Wilma Redd, said, “The Council has been advised by LCA-DC ULAA Representatives, Ms. Monsio Seedee and Ms. Jackie Nah, that the LCA-DC Chapter should not participate in the ULAA elections tomorrow, Saturday, March 2, 2024, because the process will not result in free and fair elections”. They explained that the ULAA Board of Directors and Executive Committee are in court over the 2023 ULAA elections that were canceled because of a physical threat to delegates and executives. Even though the judge mandated that elections be held on March 2, 2024, however, LCA-DC did not receive any timely and official communication about how the elections would be conducted.
There were pieces of information circulating on WhatsApp and iMessage from different sources about candidates running in the ULAA elections, the ULAA Elections Commission, and from other individuals, which indicated that the elections would be held on Saturday, March 2nd, in Philadelphia.
“These are the concerns of the ULAA Representatives:
1. The ULAA Elections Commission issued a statement on February 29th, which stated that it would not be able to conduct free and fair elections that Saturday for reasons of irregularities. The Commission noted that it was only informed on Wednesday, February 28th, that the elections would be conducted in three days, which was to be Saturday, March 2nd.
2. No official guidelines or information were sent to the DC Chapter.
3. One candidate was collecting money and bank rolling the election cost.
4. One candidate withdrew because the court order was not being followed fully.
“In view of these issues of ULAA election on March 2, 2024, LCA-DC Metro could not participate in the election of Saturday, March 2, 2024.”
Like LCA-DC, ULAA’s Iowa and Connecticut member chapters, too, didn’t take part in the process because they didn’t trust the credibility of the outcome.
One thing that made these three very important member chapters to boycott the elections is that while following the court order, they noticed that the process was being single handedly managed by the legal counsel of the opposing party to incumbent President Shiwoh Kamara.
It is reported that President Kamara’s opponent’s attorney paid the fees to Honest Ballot, the company that provided the voting machine for the election process. Folks in Team Kamara’s camp think this is a huge conflict of interest.
On February 7, 2024, an amended order came from Judge Barry C. Dozor’s Delaware County Court of Common Pleas, Pennsylvania, for both lawyers, Nixon T. Kannah, Esquire, and Charles K. Sunwabe, Jr., MA, Attorney-At-law, to work along with the Elections Commission and conduct the elections, but on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, Team Shiwoh Kamara announced that it was not participating in the process of March 2, 2024, because Judge Dozor’s orders weren’t being fully implemented.
Below are the court orders, which Team Kamara alleges that were not followed:
The prior Elections Commission approved delegate lists for the September 2023 election, (INCLUDING IOWA, OHIO &. GEORGIA Chapters) will participate in the upcoming election. These chapters will provide to the attorneys lists of eligible voters and the attorneys will compare these lists with the delegate lists for the September elections and will register eligible voters, who were previously excluded.
All matters on which the attorneys cannot agree will be referred to the Judge.
The underlying conflicts in mainly the Georgia, Iowa and Ohio Chapters shall be resolved by the attorneys.
The date for the elections will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Elections will be in-person voting.
No changes will be made to the current candidate list.
Delegates who paid at the September 16, 2023, ULAA Convention will not be required to have another delegate fee for the upcoming election.
The National Financial Secretary and Treasurer will produce a list showing delegates’ payments from the September 16, 2023, Convention.
The elections will be held from 10:00 AM- 5:00 PM.
The Elections Commission in concert with the attorneys to submit a budget for hosting of the elections. The attorneys shall exercise supervisory role in this process.
The signatories of ULAA’s account, Dr. Will Jallah, Mr. Alexander Bazzie, and or J. Shiwoh Kamara, or currently signatory, shall, within 5 days of this Order, issue a check payable to Nixon T. Kannah, Esquire, Attorney Trust Account, to cover the cost of the election.
There will be no General Assembly held on the day of the elections. General Assembly will be held in September 2024.
The Lawyers will supervise the election process in coordination with the election commission.
Security will be available during the election.
The Attorneys will announce the results of election.
With the exception of the venue, date, and time, the prior approved guidelines will be adhered to.