PMDC makes headway after intense internal dispute

By Theophilus S. Gbenda

The People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC), the original campaigner for positive change, has made an impressive headway in handling the internal dispute that threatened to tear the party finally apart.

It could be noted that the PMDC has been in disarray for the past three years, a situation that has delayed the party’s much awaited national delegates’ conference to elect new officials into office.

The dispute saw the suspension of key executive officers of the party and a number of court cases seeking the resignation of Lawyer Charles Francis Margai, the controversial leader of the party.

The dispute also saw Charles Francis Margai falling apart with PMDC appointed ministers serving in the current government, and even resulted in Mr. Margai running into the bad books of his former political ally, His Excellency President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma.

One PMDC minister, Dr. Dennis Sandy, formerly of the Ministry of Lands Country Planning and the Environment, got sacked as a result of his unflinching support for Margai and his utterances against President Koroma and the APC.

The said dispute attracted widespread publicity both in the local and international media, and also left many observers with the impression that the party has lost grip of it and therefore cannot make any major impact in coming elections.

In a bid to save the neck of the party ahead of the crucially important 2012 general elections, a major breakthrough has been reached by all stakeholders involved in the conflict. The breakthrough will warrant the withdrawal of all court cases against the party and its current leadership.

According to impeccable sources, Charles Francis Margai will remain the leader and presidential candidate of the party for the 2012 elections and that the party will finally hold its national delegates conference on Friday 7^th September 2012 in Freetown to fill in various strategic positions.

It is hoped that the delegates’ conference will last for a day and will endorse all decisions reached by the National Council of the party on the way forward.

According to impeccable sources also, the party plans to hold a press conference Monday 3^rd September 2012 at its Henry Street national headquarters, and it is expected that from henceforth, the party will start speaking with one voice.

Meanwhile, the party is expected to hold a national conference in July next year for the election of officials for all positions including the leadership.

Whether Charles Francis Margai will contest for the leadership in the July 2013 national conference remains to be seen, but what is clear is that the party still needs him for the 2012 general elections.