National Youth Elections in Limbo

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ADNews-Monrovia,Liberia: Chaos is said to be looming over the impending General Assembly of the Federation of Liberian Youths (FLY), as several aspirants and various youth organizations continue to raise alarms about alleged irregularities, with some accusing the Ministry of Youths & Sports of doing little or nothing to address the situation.

By Contributing Reporter

Members of FLY  are expected to go to assembly October 20, to elect a new leadership, but with barely a week to the assembly date, there are fears that unless concerns raised by several aggrieved youths and organizations are properly addressed, the process could be thrown into chaos, a potential repeat of past violent and disruptive scenes at some congresses and other gatherings of the Federation of Liberian Youths and the Liberian National Student Union (LiNSU), amongst others.

The Ministry of Youths & Sports has received several complaints ranging from the alleged refusal by the current leadership of FLY to publish the federation’s full membership list, failure to set up and endorse the Board of Advisors, and the unjustifiable denial of bona fide and legitimate members from registering to contest, amongst others.

In his official complaint dated October 13, 2025, addressed to Acting Deputy Minister for Youth Development, Alphonso Belleh, a presidential aspirant in the impending elections, Mandela S. Gbollie highlights a serious violation of FLY’s Constitution, specifically Article 18, Section 1.2 (c), regarding member registration and public disclosure.

Gbollie argued that the Constitution requires that the membership list of FLY be updated and made public at Ieast three months prior to the General Assembly, a requirement that is essential for ensuring transparency and fairness in the electoral process, but, with elections approaching, the current membership database of FLY has not been released.

This failure, Gbollie maintained, does not only violate constitutional guidelines but also jeopardizes the integrity and credibility of the electoral process.

“This noncompliance raises concerns regarding the governance of FLY and hthe legitimacy of the upcoming elections. Without a publicly accessible membership list, stakeholders such as members and potential voters cannot verify the electoral process’s legitimacy or ensure that all eligible members can participate,” he stressed.

Given the seriousness and explosive nature of the matter, Gbollie has requested that the Ministry of Youth and Sports take immediate action to address the violation, adding that, “it is crucial that FLY leadership be held accountable to uphold the necessary procedures for the benefit of all members and to maintain transparency and democratic values within the Federation.”

In its letter of complaint to the Ministry of Youths & Sports, dated October 14, 2025, United Youth for Developmental Services, with offices in Duport Road, Paynesville, says it has observed that numerous youth organizations, which fully meet the eligibility criteria set forth by FLY’s governing framework, have been unjustly denied membership.

These organizations, according to United Youths for Development Services, fulfill all necessary requirements, including national operational scope, presence across multiple counties, a leadership structure that reflects gender balance, and alignment with FLY’s principles, as stipulated in Article 6, Section 2.3 of the constitution, but despite satisfying these criteria, they have been excluded from the ongoing regularization process for the impending FLY assembly.

“We are particularly alarmed by signs that this exclusion seems to be a strategic move by the current FLY leadership to manipulate the membership process, potentially influencing the forthcoming elections through selective admissions. This undermines the integrity, transparency, and credibility of the Federation and contradicts its foundational principles,” the group emphasized.

They called on the Ministry of Youth & Sports to intervene by reopening the membership process to ensure transparency, allowing all qualified youth organizations to engage fully in keeping with FLY’s constitution and guidelines, which is vital for promoting inclusive and democratic youth leadership in Liberia.

Complainants and alarms are also coming from other institutions and organizations over concerns about adherence to the FLY’s neutrality and non-partisan resolution and question regarding the eligibility of two candidates, Mr. Jeremiah B. Wilson (39 years old) and Mr. Abraham B. Kollie (37 years old), both of whom are reported to be beyond the defined youth age limit.

In light of these rising concerns, authorities of the Ministry of Youth & Sports have scheduled a meeting with the leadership of FLY and representatives of the Global Action for Sustainable Development on Friday, October 17, 2025 at 1:00 pm, to address some of the concerns, ensure fairness, and maintain the integrity of the electoral process.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Youths & Sports has written the leadership of the Federation of Liberian Youths, through its president, Ms. Banica S. Elliott, requesting FLY to submit certain essential documents to the office of the Minister, including the election timetable for the upcoming FLY elections; a comprehensive list of all member organizations eligible to participate in the elections; the names of qualified candidates; and a copy of the Federation’s Constitution.

The MYS said FLY needed to submit these crucial documents on October 15, 2025 to allow for proper oversight and to ensure that the electoral process of the Federation remains transparent and adheres to its governing instruments.

Additionally, the Ministry said it has received a formal complaint from Global Action for Sustainable Development, regarding several concerns associated with the current electoral process, including the disqualification of Mr. Ernest Duku Jallah, one of the contestants; allegation of violations of Article 4, Section A; breach of Article 6, Sections 2.2 (g) and (h).

As pressure mounts on the Ministry of Youths & Sports in Monrovia, with some individual youth members and organisations accusing the Ministry of a snail-paced approach to addressing these critical concerns, there are reports of growing disappointment, disenchantment and frustration among youths in other parts of the country who are interested in the assembly (election) process of FLY.

Already, some youths and organizations from other counties are vowing to travel to Monrovia to join their fellow aggrieved youths in staging a protest action at the SKD offices of the Ministry of Youths & Sports, to seek redress to the mounting concerns and allegations that have characterized the FLY electoral process.