The Elections Committee of the Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL) has announced that the 2023 polls will be conducted on Saturday, December 9, 2023. The committee said registered members of the association will be accorded the opportunity through a transparent electoral process to elect a new team of officers to steer the affairs of the association for the next three years.
The elections will take place at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex Gymnasium in Paynesville. Below are the guidelines and timetable for the smooth conduct of SWAL’s 2023 Elections.
Guidelines
PRESIDENT:
A). Must be a full member with current identification card of the Press of Union Liberia (PUL) and SWAL
B). Must be at least 25 years of age
C). Must be a university student, university graduate, or its equivalent
D). Must have practiced for over six years as sports writer/journalist
E). Must be in good financial standing with the organization and the PUL
VICE PRESIDENT:
A). Must be a full member with current identification card of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) and SWAL
B). Must have practiced for over three years as a sports journalist
C). Must be a university student, university graduate, or its equivalent
D). Must be in good financial standing with the organization and PUL
E). Must have no criminal record and be in the position to act in the absence of the president
SECRETARY GENERAL:
A). Must be a full member with current identification card of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) and SWAL
B). Must have good command of the English language
C). Must have practiced over three years as a sports journalist
D). Must be a university student or must have completed some training in journalism or Mass Communication
E. Must be in good financial standing with the organization
ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL:
A). Must be a full member with current identification card of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) and SWAL
B). Must have good command of the English language
C). Must have practiced over three years as a sports journalist
D). Must be a university student or must have completed some training in journalism or Mass Communication
E). Must be in good financial standing with the organization
FINANCIAL SECRETARY:
A). Must be a full member with current identification card of the Press of Union Liberia (PUL) and SWAL;
B). Must have some financial knowledge or service in similar role
C). Must have practiced for over three years as a sports journalist
D). Must be in good financial standing with the organization
CHAPLAIN:
A). Must be a full member with current identification card of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) and SWAL
B). Must be a God-fearing person with a background of similar role
C) Must have practiced for over three years as a sports journalist
D). Must be in good financial standing with the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) and SWAL
SECTION I
Filing of protest against qualified candidates and or registered voters:
A). All protests against candidates’ qualification by the Elections Committee and/or any registered voter(s) must be filed no later than five days to the conduct of the elections, with a non-refundable fee of L$5,000. Any protest filed after the stipulated time frame will not be accepted.
B). Any protest coming out of the conduct of the elections must be filed thirty-minutes after the final result has been announced
SECTION II:
A). Each candidate shall be represented at the polls on Election Day by one representative
B). Such representative shall be seated at a prescribed distance from the ballot box to be determined by the commission.
C). Designation of representatives at the polls must be done in writing and the communication signed by the candidate being represented.
SECTION III:
A). Polls will open from 9:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. Counting of ballots commences immediately following the close of the polls.
