Wednesday September 14, 2005
First_Name: Sorie I
Last_Name: Kamara
Email_Address: [email protected]
Comments: I am reading with interest and at times utter dismay, the views
expressed about Charles Margai and the SLPP.
People seeem to forget that this is the third time the SLPP leadership has
denied Charles the leadership.
In 1995, his figure was switched and given to Tejan Kabba because according to
the leadership then, if Charles had been allowed to go ahead as leader the SLPP
would not have won the general elections as the party would have again been
looked upon as a mendeman party. It was all so messy that when all the results
were computed there were seven more votes than registered delegates. This would
have warranted a Supreme Court action that would have favored the military boys
including Maada Bio. Charles quit the party then and a lot of invectives were
thrown at him.
He came back into the party and was received by the late Chairman, Rev Paul
Dunbar, Okere Adams, Alusine Deen who was representing the Leader and President,
Ahmed Tejan Kabba. Charles was handed over to the Chairman by the then Chairman
of the NUP Dr Rahmadan Dumbuya.
Charles remained in the party and was even a minister but with the relentless
obstruction from Kabba and Berewa, he had to leave. Again he underwent a lot of
nastiness from the leadership and its paid agents.
In 2002, Charles wanted to force the party hierachy to obey its own constitution
by attempting a court injunction on the party executive. The Secretary General
then now defeated Dr Prince Harding wrote to the court that Charles had no locus
standi to take the party to court as he had left the party. This provoked a
swift court action for perjury.
When the case opened in the High Court and the lawyer for Charles Margai then,
Browne-Marke, quoted a section of the court proceedings that is commonly used by
lawyers all the time for judges to sign and bring the alleged offender to court.
The judge, Bankole Raschid, sat attentively listening to Browne-Marke, when
suddenly supreme court judge Joko Smart appeared from nowhere straight into the
court while in session and whispered something in the right ear of the judge. He
then stood down the case and followed Joko Smart to the office of the Attorney
General and Minster of Justice, Solomon Berewa. When Rashid came back he was a
different person. In the end Charles was declared not a member of the SLPP as he
could not produce his party card and that all monies deducted directly from his
salary as minister to the party were donations. That very day Kabba declared his
cad Rashid was at the Hill Station lodge.
Under pressure from the rank and file of the party, Kabba had to restore the
membership of Charles in the party much to the disappointment of Berewa.
As the campaign for the leadership went on the way it became clear to all and
sundry that Charles was enormously popular both within the party and without.
One would have understood as it holds in any logis that a party puts forward a
candidate that is likely to win them power. But that was not to be. Kabba had a
different design that Berewa should suceed him at all costs. The rest is now
debate.
What should Charles do?
It is clear that the SLPP does not want Charles in their midst this being the
third time round that he has been denied the leadership. So if Berewa believes
he is that popular then let him slug it out with Charles to the nation. I
support Charles to form his own party after consultations with his supporters.
The SLPP must be crazy to do what it has done to this single individual.
Everybody or rather those who stand to benefit from Berewa are now saying
Charles should go nowhere but stay in the party and give Berewa a smooth ride to
power. He is no Tejan Kabba.
When Sir Albert underestimated the popularity of Brewah, Kai Samba and Prince
Williams, he behaved as Kabba has now behaved and the SLPP lost power. That
histoery is there for a lesson to the SLPP.
Charles Margai is a Sierra Leonean and was born of a woman. What could he have
done so evil to these people to hate this much? Now the Temes say if the Mendes
do not want him let them hand over Charles to them and we all know what that
means.
Let us discuss this affair but without insults, abuses etc.
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