Liberia: In ULAA Election: Team Kamara Wants All Court’s Orders Fully Executed to the Letter
President Shiwoh Kamara
-Won’t Participate as It Prepares for ULAA’s 50th Anniversary
By Alaska Moore Johnson
Team Shiwoh Kamara, which is one of the contesting parties in the upcoming Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas’ (ULAA) elections scheduled for March 2nd, 2024, has vowed not to participate in the process if all counts of the court’s orders are not fully executed. Both lawyers (Nixon T. Kannah, Esquire and Charles K. Sunwabe, Jr., MA, Attorney At law) have failed to fully implement the court order as instructed by Judge Barry C. Dozor, Delaware County Court of Common Pleas, Pennsylvania.
The court orders are:
1. 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.
2. All matters on which the attorneys cannot agree will be referred to the Judge.
3. The underlying conflicts in mainly the Georgia, Iowa and Ohio Chapters shall be resolved by the attorneys.
4. The date for the elections will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
5. Elections will be in-person voting.
6. No changes will be made to the current candidate list.
7. Delegates who paid at the September 16, 2023, ULAA Convention will not be required to have another delegate fee for the upcoming election.
8. The National Financial Secretary and Treasurer will produce a list showing delegates' payments from the September 16, 2023, Convention.
9. The elections will be held from 10:00 AM- 5:00 PM.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. There will be no General Assembly held on the day of the elections. General Assembly will be held in September 2024.
13. The Lawyers will supervise the election process in coordination with the election commission.
14. Security will be available during the election.
15. The Attorneys will announce the results of election.
16. With the exception of the venue, date, and time, the prior approved guidelines will be adhered to.
17. The signatories of ULLA's bank account(s), Dr. Will Jallah, Mr. Alexander Bazzie, and or J. Shiwoh Kamara, or another other signatory, shall within 5 days of the election, issue payments to Attorneys, Charles Suwabe, Esq. and Nixon T. Kannah, Esq. to cover their respective cost and hourly fees for service provided to ULAA from November 13, 2023 through March 2, 2021 less any retainer received prior to November 13, 2023.
Team Kamara announced their stance following a strategic sitting on February 22, 2024. Team Kamara is rejecting the date of March 2, 2024, because of “unresolved” issues. Key is the failure of both Nixon and Charles to work with ULAA Elections Commission to conduct the March 2nd, 2024 as requested by the court.
They further resolved that they won’t participate in said election as it prepares for ULAA’s 50th anniversary slated to take place in September 2024.
“In view of the Court’s order, coupled with both lawyers’ failures to implement the judge’s decisions, Team Kamara categorically says NO, and until such issues are resolved, it is no way going to participate in any election on March 2nd.”
It can be recalled on September 16, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a group of ULAA Board members orchestrated an unsuccessful toppling of the Shiwoh Administration by obstructing the constitutional General Assembly (GA). Board members, whose terms had already expired, and were operating illegally along with their group, unconstitutionally extended their tenures a few days prior to the GA, and then came to the GA with this group and disrupted the Assembly. The unconstitutional actions of these Board members and their group forced the sitting President and the Presiding Officer of the GA to cancel the Assembly as a result of insufficient time left for voters to cast votes since voting instruments used were being rented with time limitation.
Team Kamara said because those board members’ plan to split the Union didn’t succeed, those members who were operating illegally and unconstitutionally, rushed and setup an unconstitutional interim administration. “Team Kamara saw this action as a flagrant disrespect for the rule of law and the Constitution of the Union. The mandate of the court aborted their actions after issuing a “Cease and Desist” Order, which seemed to have buried the surge of disruptions from these then Board Members, thereby, resorting to this rushed elections of March 2nd,” Team Kamara said.
“Furthermore, let it be clear that Team Kamara fully supports the holding of free, fair and transparent elections, but until all issues that led to Court actions are resolved, Team Kamara will stay away from March 2nd.”
Meanwhile, Team Kamara, which still holds the Union’s presidency, is urging all ULAA Member Chapters to get prepared for the celebration of ULAA’s 50th Anniversary slated for September 2024. Team Kamara fully believes that with the concerted efforts of member chapters, the Union’s Golden Jubilee will stand as the new frontier force for advocacy and nation building. Team Kamara asserts that there is NO TWO ULAA but ONE under the constitutional gavel of President Shiwoh Kamara, and that only President Kamara can take ULAA to the GA and elections.
Team Kamara has disclosed that in few days, it will setup a robust 2024 Convention Committee from a cross section of ULAA Member chapters to begin immediate preparations for GA-50 and ULAA 50th Anniversary.