PMDC suspends APPA membership
September 1, 2015 By Hassan Gbassay Koroma
The People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) has suspended their membership in the All Political Parties Association (APPA) pending the rectification of the eligibility of Chairperson Mrs. Augusta James Teima to hold the office.
Mrs. Teima was recently elected to replace erstwhile shadowy Chairman, Mohamed Bangura of the United Democratic Party (UDM), under controversial circumstances.
A faction within her party, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), had written to APPA just before her election, questioning her eligibility because according to them, she was not duly elected as interim chair of the party.
Also, the PMDC release noted that the main opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) had “presented a written petition, objecting to Mrs. Teima’s candidacy citing Sections 35(4), 76(1)(b) and 171(1) of the Constitution of Sierra Leone Act No.6 of 1991 to be read in tandem with Section 14(1) of the PPRC Act No.3 of 2002.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday at his Rawdon Street chamber, Leader and Chairman of PMDC, Charles Francis Margai, said his party has noted with concern the conduct of the recent interim executive elections by APPA and in particular that affecting and resulting in the election of Mrs. Teima as interim chairperson.
The veteran politician and legal luminary recounted that prior to the election, he and Mrs. Teima were nominated to contest for the position of chairman of APPA but that based on information he had received, he stepped down, adding that Madam Teima is a lecturer at the Milton Margai College of Education and Technology and receives salary from the Consolidated Fund, contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone which prohibit public servants from contesting political positions unless and until they had resigned for a period of twelve months.
He noted that despite the contentions, the out-gone executive went ahead to conduct the election, with the “flawed result” of Mrs. Teima’s election as interim chairperson of APPA, adding that his party viewed that with concern and disapproval and hoped “the illegal outcome would be reaction”.
Meanwhile, there has been no reaction from either the Political Parties Registration Commission, which regulates the conduct of parties and organized the election, or Mrs. Teima.