Lakes state SPLM guarantee to unite assembly and swear in NCP members

By Manyang Mayom

November 22, 2008 (RUMBEK) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party in Lakes state defended themselves from the National Congress Party’s (NCP) threat to pull out of the assembly, saying that they had to unite the Lakes state Assembly first before swearing in three members of NCP.

On Wednesday the NCP members had threatened the SPLM party with a boycott of the Lakes state government, accusing the state government of undermining the NCP in many issues.

A SPLM representative said that the Assembly should convene into one group rather than staying divided in two factions—a rift that widened in last month’s political crisis between executives and lawmakers.

“We are not rejecting the swearing in of the NCP members into assembly positions,” he said.

“We had the papers of these three members who are to take over their positions in the parliament to replace their outgoing three members that include: Kosea Kedit Muortat, Lino Alony Mon and Arkanjelo Deng Kuok, who were removed from parliament by their NCP party and a new group was named to replace them in Lakes assembly,” added the SPLM figure.

The partnership between SPLM and NCP was strained when one NCP member felt discouraged on the process of the swearing-in.

Malou Moses, the acting SPLM Lakes state secretary, told Sudan Tribune by phone, “We have drafted a big document that will be implemented by SPLM members in Lakes state Assembly, including the SPLM caucus chairperson, to address all these political differences before the NCP members take an oath.”

Meanwhile, a top SPLM official affirmed that three NCP members will take the oath on Monday in the presence of Speaker Isaiah Alier Machinkon and Lakes state Acting Governor Awan Guol Riak, without objection.

Moses did not indicate clearly when the Lakes state SPLM secretariat will settle the political crisis in the Lakes state parliament, which has stayed in factions from August until this month.

(ST)