LIBERIA – The Leadership of the Press Union of Liberia, (PUL) has welcomed the decision of the Media Stakeholders Committee to disengage from efforts seeking a resolution to the elections impasse within the Union.
The PUL believes that disengagement is prudent to allow the law to take its course in these ongoing electoral disputes.
The Union has applauded the Committee for such a salient initiative and has assured the public that the case will reach its logical conclusion in a court of law.
The PUL dispute resolution committee had accused President Coffey of undermining the works of the committee he constituted to mediate.
In response to the claim, President Coffey dismissed such an assertion, terming it a complete misrepresentation of the facts associated with the case. The Leadership of the Union wonders how the President can undercut the activities of the committee at the same time not providing a term of reference for it.
The Media Stakeholders Committee held meetings in the one week stipulated by Associate Justice Yousif Kaba to reconcile the Union but failed to bring both parties together.
The Committee was also charged to bring the parties in the elections disputes and the congress committee to a settlement but it only interviewed lawyers of both parties.
The Committee also did not communicate with the Union neither the Justice-in-Chambers on the need for an extension of one week to allow the mediation to continue.
President Coffey asserted that Madam Boley more than once phoned him to give edicts on the state of the mediation.
Mr. Coffey mentioned that the failure of the committee to achieve the desired peace mediation prompted the seizure of the matter by the Justice in Chambers.
The Leadership of the Union regards the blame-shifting of the committee on Mr. Coffey as unhealthy and counterproductive to the spirit of the Union.
The Union sees the press statement signed only by Mrs. Boley as a conspiracy intended to pin down the Union’s genuine efforts aimed at bringing the election impasse to an end.
