Members of the Publishers Association of Liberia (PAL) will on today, December 10, 2021, midday, go to the poll to elect their leadership for another three-year term.
Today’s election will feature candidates who will be vying for several positions: President, Vice President, Secretary General and Financial Secretary.
Those qualified by the PAL three-man election committee, headed by the Publisher of the New Republic Newspaper, Alphonso Toweh, include for the presidency; Othello Garblah of the New Dawn newspaper and Robert Kpardeh of the Parrot newspaper.
However, during the evening hours of yesterday, the Hot Pepper was informed about the official withdrawal of candidate Kpardeh, who officially notified the election committee about his withdrawal from the election in a communication.
In his letter of withdrawal, Kpadeh said the decision was deeply informed by weeks of consultation held with colleagues and brothers of the PAL, which significantly and revealingly established two resounding facts: an overwhelming support from colleague publishers for my presidential bid, and his desire to contest and my subsequent presidency would spur a conundrum of bad blood amongst colleagues and brothers of the PAL.
“These hard facts dawned upon me the compelling need to soberly reflect and make a decision required of a sound, responsible and selfless Leader,” Robert Kpadeh noted in his withdrawal letter.
The Vice Presidency is being contested for by Sam O. Dean of the Independent newspaper and Helen Nah Sammie, while the Secretary General and the Financial Secretary positions are being contested on white ballot by James G. Kiazolu of the Express newspaper and Abraham Donzo of the Public Agenda newspaper.
The election today will highlight a debate between the candidates at 11:00 a.m., which will then be followed by a day-long election. All the electoral ceremonies will be held at the headquarters of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) on Clay Street.
According to the PAL election commission, only publishers who have paid their dues will be qualified to vote.
Members of the PAL Election Committee include Alphonso Toweh, Publisher of the New Republic Newspaper, Chairman; Mohammed Kanneh, Heritage Newspaper, Co-Chairman; and Joel Cholo Brooks, GNN-Liberia Newspaper, Secretary.