The man, who was elected as the Northern Regional Vice President in the Union of Liberian Association in the Americas’ (ULAA) March 2nd, 2024, national election, has decided “in good conscience” not to accept his role as VP in the new ULAA Administration.
In his letter to his fellow Liberian diasporas, Mr. Alpha Tongor said “After careful consideration, I am compelled to denounce my election to this role.” His decision allows him to forfeit his second term as the VP for that region. He is currently ULAA’s Northern Region’s VP.
According to him, “This decision is not made lightly and is rooted in my unwavering commitment to ensure our community is led by individuals chosen through fair means and who are genuinely suited to advance our collective goals.”
Alpha disclosed that on March 1st, 2024, a day before the election, he had communicated with Honest Ballot and the court-appointed parliamentarians, including Attorney Nixon T. Kannah and Attorney Charles K. Sunwabe, requesting the removal of his name from the ballot. It is likely that his request wasn’t granted and he went on to win overwhelmingly but has vowed not to accept such result; adding: “Our leadership must accurately reflect the valid will and aspirations of our community members, who are the heart and soul of our Union.”
He explained further that during the election, it became evident that numerous discrepancies and irregularities occurred, leading to results that do not truly represent the democratic choice of ULAA membership. “These issues compromise the integrity of our union and the values we stand for. Considering these concerns, I cannot accept this role in good conscience, knowing the process was flawed.”
Reflecting on his first term as the duly-elected Northern Regional Vice President from 2021 to 2023, Tongor listed some of his achievements as diligently working with the National Administration under the leadership of President J. Shiwoh Kamara. He added: “Together, we implemented significant reforms in how the Union conducted its business. We overhauled the communication infrastructure to ensure ULAA remains professionally connected with Liberians and other stakeholders. I also played a crucial role in redesigning the Liberian Diaspora Initiative Fund (LDIF), which serves as ULAA’s official vehicle to support Liberia’s poverty reduction efforts. In fact, I actually led the project. This initiative aims to enhance the lives of Liberians living in poverty, regardless of ethnicity, language, religion, or gender, while ensuring the Union’s resources are protected and continuity is maintained. Additionally, I spearheaded numerous workshops and virtual town halls in the Northern Region to empower our community organizations to scale.”
Even though he has stepped aside from the ULAA post, Tongor pledged to remain steadfast in his commitment to supporting Liberian communities in the Diaspora, sharing ideas, and collaborating to positively impact their Liberian Community and Liberia as a nation.
Background
It can be recalled that the much-heralded elections for the national leadership of 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.”
Following the elections, Honest Ballot, the entity which provided the voting machines for the Union’s national election, reported that only 75 persons voted in the half-baked election, which should have seen at least 899 registered voters participating. This is just eight percent of the total number of registered voters.