SPLM denies divisions after South Sudan ministerial reshuffle
July 8, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) has denied rumors on divisions within the movement after the ministerial reshuffle as it was speculated in Khartoum and Juba.
Federal Minister of Cabinet Affairs Deng Alor defended Rebecca, saying that she is not opposed to the SPLM.
Alor said Rebecca might differ with the movement in some areas, but he added that she was fully devoted to the principles and strategies of the SPLM.
Deng pointed out that a serious meeting, chaired by President of Government of Southern Sudan and Chairman of SPLM Salva Kiir Mayardit, will be convened in Juba to put an end to the misunderstandings that resulted from the changes made recently in the cabinet reshuffle.
He said the movement’s aim of this reshuffle was to appoint qualified personalities acceptable to all.
On July 2, 2007, the president of the government of Southern Sudan reshuffled the cabinet removing prominent figures from their positions. Rebecca Garang was removed as the minister of roads and transport. She has instead become a presidential advisor for gender and human rights. While South Sudan’s Vice President Riek Machar was stripped of his additional housing and lands portfolio.
Kiir also was criticised for appointing several ministers from his region Bahr Al-Gazal.
(ST)
JOHN CHOL
SPLM denies divisions after South Sudan ministerial reshuffle
It will be darely sad for one to say that Nyandeng claimes to be a minister for ever!This is wrong allegation for those who perceived it negatively.
This is because Political leadership is not a permanent job to an individual,however if De Mabior seems to have refused swearing in, as propagated by the media,than it shouldn’t be perceived like she she is mourning over her previous ministerial position because She is currently re-appointed into another important government position of becoming a presidential advisor.As a widow like other widows in the South,her(Nyandeng) happiness lies in the fully scale of her husband document-the CPA.
Perhabs, She must have realized that she has spent most of her life in Sudanese politics in which the CPA implementation is slowly taken-as she doesn’t like her husband vision to be re-shaped into new Visions. Garang said in his speech during signing of the CPA in Nairobi that,
“This peace agreement will change the Sudan for ever. Sudan cannot and will never be the same again as this peace agreement will engulf the country in democratic and fundamental transformations, instead of being engulfed in wars as it has always been for the last 184 years – since 1821, when our country was first invaded by outside powers and exposed to the ravages of the slave trade and predatory commerce of all sorts, and since before independence from 1955 in civil wars”
When Garang mentioned Democratic,he referred to widen consultations,fair appoinment of government officials ,not necessarily from one state/region or clan.Have a mandate to appoint minister from a lineage family tree has another meaning in transforming the country? how different is the Khartoum goverment with GOSS in term of autocracy?
Archives keeps people remaks and i quote,
“We may blame others for undermining the CPA, but we are as well undermining the CPA in our routine work.” President Salva Kiir, Juba State Governors meeting, Nov. 06.
Mr.president must be informed that his move was welcomed but he should have consider appointing other communities leaders into power so that the innocent Dinka community will not later be blamed for any faulty,that might arised in the future particularly in the Ministry of finance and economic planing as well in the Road and transport.
This is because majority of the south Sudan people especially from minor communities think that corruption is a tribal crime and not a personal crime.
For example,On corruption in South: “We caught the thieves but they are defended by their relatives at higher positions in the (GOSS) government.Corruption in the South has become an ethnic phenomenon”. Professor Wanji, the Chair of the Economic Committee in the Southern Parliament; Sudan Radio Service, Feb. 2997.
No,absolutely no for corruption to be viewed as an ethnic phenomenonen as there is no single community among other communites that love corrupt leaders nor do any community appointed or support corrupt leaders.Ministers become corrupt on the expense of presidential appointments as the president alloted government positions by whom he trusted to be fitted best deemed.
John Chol Deng