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Politics grips Pennsylvanians
By:Phamolie Morris Kromah
As the leadership of Pres. Mohamed Bility of the Liberian Mandingo Association of Pennsylvania (LIMAP) prepares to wrap up their extensive contributions to community service, other individuals are preparing to brace themselves with those titles and the responsibilities that come with it.
An elections commission has been set up by Pres. Bility to ensure the smooth and transparent elections of official of LIMAP. Hon. Lusine Dolley was appointed as Chairman of the elections commission while other members of the commission include Mr. Solimane Sackor, Mohammed Jangar Kanneh, Mohammed Kamara, Dr. Abu Mansally, Ms. Hawa Sillah-Sheriff, Ms. Mariam Bamba and Khalifa Donzo.
Pres. Bility reiterated the need for the commissioners to be as transparent as possible at the same time maintain a strong level of high standards in the discharge of their duties.
Since the commissioners’ appointment, they’ve made tremendous effort in putting together a comprehensive guideline that will suit the contestants as well as the electorates. After several weeks of deliberations between the candidates as well as the leadership and the elections commission vis-à-vis the up coming elections, the elections commission finally released the first copy of the elections guideline.
In the midst of a heated campaign between the candidates, the commission warned each candidate to be as civil as possible to reduce tension and quarrels between their party memberships. With the guidelines published, the commission threatened to disqualify any individual or individuals caught in the act of uncivil political campaigning. Even so, a major sticky point that subsisted since the appointment of the elections commission was the due payment of $65.00.
According to the LIMAP constitution, members are required to pay an annual due of $65.00 however; the election process and campaigning has created an aura of uneasiness among Pennsylvanians and as such most are demanding that the 65.00 fee be eliminated so as to allow the larger Mandingo community to vote in the coming elections. According to a prominent community member in PA who prefers to be anonymous, “If FELMAUSA can relax the constitution in MN during the 2009 convention, LIMAP can do the same.”
He indicated that FELMAUSA allowed delegates to vote in the 2009 elections in MN when some of those chapter states were delinquent in due payments. He went on to say that LIMAP must relax the $65.00 payment so as to allow the already euphoric voters have a chance to make their voices heard.
Even though it is still unclear as to when the general debate will take place, candidates have been seen vigorously networking with everyone that will listen to their messages of change.
LIMAP political landscape has gone far beyond the woodland avenues politics as some may assume. The candidates are making every effort to reach as much people as possible so as to have them participate in the coming elections.
From all indications, it seems to be working for the most part because most communities in Pennsylvania are currently discussing and dissecting each of the candidates on their past and present contributions as well as their leadership abilities to move LIMAP ahead.
According to the timetable issued by the elections commission, the election is expected to take place in the late part of September.