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LAMA
elections 2007: Skinner defeats Sue Yancy-Williams
Thursday,
November 16, 2007
By Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh
What was
billed as a day to elect new leaders of the Liberian
Association of Metropolitan Atlanta (LAMA), became a day of worship, dance
and celebration as enthusiastic Liberians turned out
in droves at the Bethel World Outreach Ministries on
November 11, to also hear about economic and political
empowerment and to inject life into their struggling community by
finally electing their leaders for the 2008 fiscal
year.
Pres-elect Skinner
Out-going pres. Williams
By a decisive margin of victory, (144-61
votes), challenger Walter B. Skinner, who served
previously as treasurer and resigned because of
infighting and policy differences with the lady he
challenged for the job, defeated the incumbent, Sue
Yancy Williams to be president of a once vibrant
Liberian Community that has since disintegrated over
the years as a result of a sudden lack of interests in
the greater community by some who chose to narrowly focus their
collective energies into schools, religious and ethnic
groups, or no group at all.
Cross-section of voters
Amid accusations of alleged corruption when he
served as treasurer and charges of undermining the
administration of Yancy-Williams, Skinner, together
with Vice President Jerry Mwagbe and Secretary, Yancy
Sieh resigned simultaneously during a community
meeting months ago, went on to breeze through the
elections by showing his Teflon side by reminding us
that he can talk himself out of trouble and that
nothing, whatsoever can stick on him.
Candidates and
voters anxiously await results
While it is true that Walter Skinner
exhibited all the Teflon qualities of a politician
during the elections, he did put together a brilliant
campaign and a brilliant team to run and work with
him.
Elections Commissioners Karter, Kamara and Harris
Because weeks and days before the
elections, Mr. Skinner personally worked the phone
lines, printed t-shirts with his picture on it; sent
out e-mails to Liberians who were willing to talk or
read, visited churches, articulated his vision for the
community, networked with Liberians
across the cultural and political landscapes, and also
gathered his team on a Saturday morning before the
elections to strategize and work the phone lines
calling Liberians and showing that he was ‘hungry’
to serve them.
His opponent on the other hand was
laid-back, did not take his challenger seriously, seemed
beleaguered, dazed and unprepared by such a formidable
challenger, perhaps believing that the elections would
be as usual with no one challenging her, or was
expecting a token challenger to come out of the
wilderness to go against her. At the end of the day,
Sue Yancy-Williams was soundly defeated.
LAMA voters await results
This election was the first of its kind to
be widely attended and with so much interest shown, as
Liberians patiently lined up to pay their required fees
and dues to qualify for the event. After they voted
and the ballots were
being counted, Liberians were also glued to their seats for
hours refusing to leave the sanctuary until their
votes were counted and the results revealed. At the
end, over
$3,000 was raised during the elections from dues and
fees.
Liberians, however, used the down
time during the counting of the ballots to fellowship,
meet, greet and eventually celebrate the victory of
Walter B. Skinner, who was credited for bringing such
excitement to the elections. The question that remains
to be answered is whether Skinner is ready to lead
this diverse and struggling community. Is he capable? Stay tuned!
Pres-elect with supporters
Supporters celebrate election results
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