ULAA 2008 Election Campaign
Celia Brown Vs. Isaac Zawolo, Jr
Just before President Ernest Johnson, President of the Liberian Community Association of the Washington Metropolitan Area, was about to adjourn the June 22, 2008 Association meeting, members were asked to lend their ears to a surprising announcement from Association member Celia Brown when she announced her candidacy for the General Secretary of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas, or ULAA, in its up coming election scheduled for October 4, 2008 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. In her announcement to seek the top spot on the Union Secretarial, Mrs. Brown said though she’s new to the Association, but has pledged her full support to the Johnson/Harris administration and was ready to work with it.
As part of the new talents being mobilized by the Johnson/Harris administration, Mrs. Brown proudly said she was willing share some of those talents with the Union in the capacity as General Secretary. After making her announcement, many of the members present gave her a round of applause, with some shaking their heads in approval. Celia, since she became a resident in the Washington DC-based Liberian community wasted no time in plunging into the community politics, and has quickly established herself among US-based Liberian community activists through her writings. She is known for taking on tough issues and among the few women who are changing the face of the male dominated Liberian community activism. Her take no prisoner type of writing has earned her quick recognition among those who frequent the many Liberian listervs on the internet.
No sooner the applause ended, members of the Liberian Community Association, the ULAA Washington Chapter, quickly realized a potential problem posed by Mrs. Brown’s candidacy. As a candidate from the DC chapter, Celia will be going against long time Association member Mr. Isaac Zawolo, who is seeking a second term as General Secretary. Zawolo best known for his many selfless financial contributions to the Association is also a former regional vice president for ULAA eastern region during which time he used his cool approach to quelled many tensions scattered throughout the chapters in the eastern region. Now the community members must decide who to support as General Secretary for the Union.
Many members of the chapters, especially potential delegates, are divided between the
Mariah Seton
three opposing camps in the ULAA 2008 election. Mr. Zawolo is on the ticket of Mr. Anthony Kesselly, while Mrs. Brown will be on the ticket of Ms. Mariah Seton. There is also Mr. Abraham Massaley whose camp, even though don’t have any member yet from the chapter, is able to garner some support among chapter members. The Washington chapter, due to its close proximity to Pittsburg, is among those chapters that will bring a full load of delegates to the elections. And if all the provisions of the recent reactivated ULAA 2004 electoral laws are implemented, Washington, DC is expected to increase its delegates count beyond the regular 15-member. The recent election has seen the DC chapter membership shooting up to 800 members, and if the proportional delegate’s math is applied, the chapter in DC should be able to pick up more delegates.
To keep the chapter in DC in the loop at every level of the ULAA campaign, not only as a delegate-rich chapter, LCA-Washington is expected host one of the debates being contemplated for the ULAA election. While the modalities have not been worked out, hosting a debate in the chapter near the nation’s capital could be the highlight of the campaign. All eyes are always on Washington, DC, no matter what, it is the political capital of the world, and every campaign will like to attach to its camp the prestigious Washington, DC address. ULAA watchers, or many political pundits, have concluded that the success of any ULAA administration depends on how strong its presence is in Washington, DC. With the Seton and Kesselly camps each having on their top spots some one from Washington, the pressure is mounting on the Massaley camp.
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