Liberia: Toe Wins RAL Secretary-General Post With 61.86 Percent As Clayeh Clinches Presidency

- The Liberian Investigator's senior reporter and legislative correspondent, Blamo N. Toe, has been elected Secretary-General of the Reporters Association of Liberia after securing 61.86% of the vote, emerging as the top vote-getter among five candidates in the union's special elective congress.

The election, held Saturday, April 18 at the Press Union of Liberia headquarters in Monrovia, also saw FrontPage Africa's J.H. Webster Clayeh elected president, marking a new leadership chapter for one of Liberia's most influential media bodies. The newly elected officials will serve three-year terms.

Toe secured 133 votes against his closest rival, Amos Harris, who obtained 82 votes. Of 216 ballots cast in the Secretary-General race, 215 were valid.

In the presidential contest, Clayeh defeated Barclay M. Karnley of The Independent Newspaper by a narrower margin, winning 117 votes to Karnley's 99. Out of 541 registered voters, 217 cast ballots, representing a 40.11% turnout.

Kruah Thompson won the vice presidential race with 130 votes, defeating Sei T. Koyea, who obtained 83. Princess M. Kamara of Kear Radio secured the Assistant Secretary-General post with 127 votes against Joshua B. Freeman's 87. The closest contest of the day came in the Financial Secretary race, where Cynthia Quinisier defeated Lazota Bility by a single vote, 108 to 107.

Independent Elections Committee Chairman Frank P. Martin, who supervised the count, declared all winners in accordance with tabulated results and commended stakeholders for their commitment to democratic principles within the association.

The congress was conducted under the supervision of PUL President Julius K. Kanubah and drew reporters from across the country, with the process widely regarded as a credible test of democratic governance within the association.

The incoming leadership inherits longstanding institutional challenges, including strengthening RAL's advocacy role, improving member welfare and restoring public confidence in the association's relevance within Liberia's media community.

Read the original article on Liberian Investigator.