By Our Correspondent
People at Heathrow airport in London on Wednesday evening, November 1, 2006, gathered to look as a large group of members of the People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) UK/Ireland branch in London welcomed their leader, Charles F Margai(right in photo).
The Interim Leader, legal luminary and determined politician, Charles Francis Margai is heading a high-powered delegation of nine senior party officials to Europe and America .
The Interim leader and his entourage have embarked on a political tour the PMDC party officials have dubbed as Trans-Atlantic Tour for Positive Change (T-AT for Positive Change). The tour would start in the the United States , but the group, made a stopover in London on Wednesday to spread the message of positive change and to win support abroad.
The jubilant crowd of supporters dressed in PMDC colours waited at the arrival lounge at Heathrow’s Terminal 2 to welcome the entourage with banners, flags and smiles and shouts of rapture. The crowd doubled as Margai’s motorcade [befitting that of the status of the next President] arrived at the hotel, where the delegation spent the night.
Other members of the delegation include Mrs. Vivat Margai, Mr. Femi Hebron, Mrs. Rebecca Conteh, Chief Mohamed Benson Suwu, Rev Momoh Foh, Mr. Sidikie Janneh, Mr. Pa -Momoh Fofana and Mr. Ansu Lansana.
The arrival lounge at Heathrow was vividly coloured with orange. A Sierra Leonean, Mrs Josephine Koroma, who was at the airport to welcome a relative stated in Krio that the PMDC presence was really felt. ’Dis man fine en get blessing,’ meaning; ’This man is handsome and blessed’.
Supporters chanted ’Positive Man Don Cam ’ as Margai emerged through the arrival gate with a big smile. Mr Margai, when contacted on phone said he was amazed at the large crowd that was there to receive them. He shook hands with as many people as he could, including Sierra Leoneans who were there, waiting the arrival of their relatives on the same flight.
At the hotel, despite the jetlag, Margai briefly introduced his entourage and updated his supporters on the party’s progress in Sierra Leone . The supporters familiarized themselves with each other and discussions were held until late in the night.
The PMDC is a newly formed political party that is more than ready to run in the upcoming 2007 elections to be held in July.
Various individuals and human rights institutions with interests in Sierra Leone have requested to meet and have discussions with Mr. Margai. He would meet with Members of Parliament in both the UK and US during his tour.
The delegation left for the United States on Thursday November 2, 2006 to start the three-week US segment of the T-AT for Positive Change they would return to England and then proceed to the rest of Europe before returning to Freetown .
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