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 7th
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 3rd
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.
