A total of 17 individuals will on Saturday February 9, 2013 contest the leadership of the Islamic School System Incorporated of Liberia (ISSIL), which had been administered, by an interim leadership since it came into existence in 2006.

The candidates were selected from amongst 23 persons and screened by a five-member election commissions nominated. Amongst the contestants, is key administrative positions hail from Montserrado while the coordinators are from rural areas.

A press statement from the offices of the Special Ad-hoc Elections Commission (SAEC) says the leaders will be steering the affairs of about 40 Islamic Schools across five counties.

The schools are in Montserrado, Margibi, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount and Lofa Counties

The release dated February 5, 2013 said the leadership among other things will handle scholarship and research, educational empowerment, institutional capacity-building and skills training of teachers and administrators as well as engender meaningful peace-building initiatives.

The leadership, when elected, will also be responsible for the promotion of cultural tolerance, national unity and harmony between and among all Liberian schools and students, irrespective of religions, tribe and sex.

The release also quoted SAEC as reaffirming its commitment to conducting a clean and transparent election "Which truly and essentially reflects the popular mandate of the electorates as the system has now chosen."