By Christian Appleton
Maryland, Liberia — The Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY) is facing intense scrutiny following its recent county-level elections in Maryland, River Gee, and Grand Gedeh. Widespread reports of procedural violations, premature result announcements, and a blatant lack of proper oversight have raised serious questions about the integrity and transparency of the entire electoral process.
In Maryland County, tensions reached a boiling point when election results were reportedly announced hours before official proceedings even began. Multiple witnesses stated that a debate was scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on election day, with voting set to commence at 12:00 p.m. However, the results were allegedly released as early as 9:00 a.m.
Victor Williams, a student leader and former president of the William V.S. Tubman University Student Government Association, was declared the winner with 9 votes, while Anthony Harris received 1 vote and Francis Hoto Wesseh received none. This early announcement ignited outrage among candidates and youth representatives, many of whom claimed they hadn’t yet arrived or cast their votes. Williams further fueled the controversy by sharing the results on Facebook with the caption: “We have never been to any political process as a Joker.”
The controversy deepened in River Gee County, where sources allege that no elections were held on June 24, yet a winner was still announced. This has led to concerns that a group of delegates from Monrovia bypassed the local electoral process, prompting widespread calls for legitimacy and transparency.
Meanwhile, the FLY County Secretariat in Grand Gedeh County has officially rejected the electoral process. In a strongly worded letter dated June 25, signed by Tweh Joshua Pyne and Cynthia M. Bailey Gbarduo, the Secretariat cited multiple constitutional violations.
“Elections are constitutionally required to take place three months after a General Assembly. No such assembly has been held. County leadership was not officially informed in accordance with the rules,” the statement declared. The Grand Gedeh Secretariat is now demanding that the Electoral Committee halt all ongoing or planned elections until a General Assembly is convened, as mandated by the FLY Constitution.
The letter emphasized, “These oversights not only breach the FLY Constitution but also undermine the legitimacy, transparency, and credibility of the electoral process.”
The fallout from these irregularities has cast a significant shadow over FLY’s broader electoral efforts. Youth leaders, civil society groups, and election observers are now demanding accountability and strict constitutional compliance from the organization’s National Secretariat.
Given that the Federation of Liberian Youth is widely recognized as a crucial platform for nurturing the country’s future leaders, these allegations have sparked widespread concern not only within the affected counties but across Liberia’s broader youth community.
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