By: James Kamara-Manneh
The Political Party Registration Commission has in their recent press advisory cautioned the All People’s Congress 21-man committee on several issues within the party. The commission recognized the twenty-one-man interim transitional Governance Committee headed by Alfred Peter Conteh.
The Commission on the 1st August 2022 held a meeting with members of the committee and it came out clearly that there is a fierce rivalry between the nine members nominated by the Chairman of the committee and the twelve members nominated by the party. The rife within the party was hitched on the interpretation of the party’s constitution, and the contention was in respect of what constitutes a quorum for meetings of the committee, the appointment of district chairmen of the party, by the chairman of the committee, and the constitution of the Transitional Interim Independent Electoral Management Committee by the component of the ITGC nominated by the party, to the exclusion of the component nominated by the chairman.
With this, PPRC proffers advice that the quorum of a meeting must not be less than eleven of its members, as this is in line with Justice Fisher’s judgment that the decision of the committee shall be by a simple majority and that a meeting attended by less than eleven members, cannot reach a decision of the committee as it will represent a less simple majority. Therefore, the commission cautioned that failing to adhere to the legal advice is a recipe for disagreement amongst committee members.
The commission further cautioned the committee that they cannot act upon the party constitution, the reason being that they are not created from the constitution; therefore invoking the party’s constitution to constitute a quorum is an utter disrespect, and the committee should act within the mandate of Justice Fisher’s judgment.
The advisory suggests that to the Twenty five-man Transitional Interim Independent Electoral Management Committee in bridging peace and cohesion of the Alfred Peter Conteh’s component should comprise ten members, party component fourteen members which should be eight members from Parliament, Two each from the women’s congress, Youth congress and the diaspora. Failing to apply the suggestions can further plunge the party into more undue hardship.
The commission further indulged the committee with Article 13(F&G) of the party’s 2022 constitution that if a member resigned, expelled or otherwise forfeited their membership in the party, can only be reinstated or readmitted, by the National Delegates Conference Organ of the party.
However, the Commission stated clearly that their intention to intercede in this was not to interpret Justice Fisher’s judgment delivered on the 28th of April, 2022, rather being the oversight body that supervises the activities of all political parties, is obligated to ensure that, the committee tends to the best interest of the party at all time.
In conclusion, the commission admonished the All People’s Congress to put aside all personal differences and to work in the interest of the party.
