The political climate in Sierra Leone is getting more and more turbulent and everything seems to be put on hold as the country’s politicians prepare themselves for the crucial 2007 elections. A couple of new parties have emerged already and are warming up for the contest. The PMDC is the new candidate. From Vancouver,Vanguard editor Gibril Koroma talked to a diehard supporter of the new party in London.Here is the story:
A new political party, the People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) will rock Sierra Leone’s political edifice to its foundations next week when it would be launched in Freetown the capital.
According to Moijue Kaikai, a strong and devoted supporter of the new party, the PMDC will be led by erstwhile SLPP strongman Charles Margai who recently resigned from that party after the Makeni national convention. Kaikai referred to Makeni as a ’coronation’ meaning it was totally devoid of democracy and fairplay. However,SLPP top brass including Vice President Berewa, Public Relations Officer Victor Reider and Secretary General Jacob Saffa had at various fora vehemently denied this, asserting that the convention was free and fair.
In a telephone interview Saturday October 8, Kaikai said the new party’s constitution and manifesto will be ready in a few days, probably early next week. Kaikai,a London resident and formerly one of the most vocal and visible SLPP supporters in that city, lamented that the SLPP, led by Kabbah and Berewa, has woefully disappointed the people of Sierra Leone including those in the south and east of the country, the traditional strongholds of that party. "People are fed up, they want a change.I was there in Bo, Kenema, Pujehun and Makeni; I heard them speak out", he said. He added the SLPP should no loneger count on the blind loyalty of people in the south and east as in the past as the Sierra Leonean voter has considerably changed over the past few years.
Kaikai said Charles Margai has a better vision for the people of Sierra Leone than Berewa whom he described as extremely unpopular as was evident by the reaction to his ’coronation’. "Makeni was like the September 11 of Sierra Leone", he said.
Asked whether the party has support in other parts of the country, Kaikai said it is a national party with support from all over the country. "The SLPP women’s leader in the north, Rebecca Conteh and Dauda Bangura a top party official in the SLPP are just two of the northern heavyweights with us", he said.
The headquarters of the PMDC are located at Hannah Benkah-Coker street in Freetown.The symbol of the new party is a broom.
Photo: Charles Margai, getting ready for another battle.
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