Charles Francis Margai, the leader and presidential aspirant of the People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC), asserts that he is the most experienced politician among the thirteen presidential aspirants.
This is his fourth general election as a presidential candidate, and he is highly confident of victory in the forthcoming election. In an interview with Radio Democracy FM 98.1, Margai spoke extensively about his background and political lineage, tracing his ancestry to Sir Milton Margai.
According to Margai, he has been a kingmaker for too long and wants to become a king himself to correct the wrongs committed by the kings he made. Margai believes that he has the experience and pedigree to handle the reins of power if given the chance.
When asked who he would like to emerge as president if he didn’t win the election, Margai responded that he wants the next president to be someone who has the country and people’s interests at heart, and that person is not Maada Bio.
Margai accused the President of having an uneven advantage over other presidential aspirants because he is utilizing state resources during this campaign period. He pledged to address such issues if elected president in the coming election.
Margai’s PMDC was a formidable force in 2007 after he broke from the Sierra Leone Peoples Party. They were able to garner 13.9% of the votes and won ten parliamentary seats. However, their performance was dismal in 2018 as they only managed to get 0.4% of the votes cast.
In the coming election, the PMDC has aligned itself with the All Peoples’ Congress party (APC) and other political parties to form a coalition.
Margai was appointed as Attorney General and Minister of Justice in April 2018 but was sacked in June after a memo he wrote was leaked, in which he was entreating the President to dismiss the Chief Justice of Sierra Leone and the Commissioner of the Anti Corruption Commission.
