Separate referendum talks from election process

By Isaiah Abraham

November 14, 2009 — The highest political echelon of the party (SPLM Political Bureau) has met and decided not to accept Machar-Taha proposed agreement on referendum. It was a crucial meeting vis-à-vis NCP position on Referendum and elections. Call it a crisis meeting and may be rightfully so. The SPLM was face with serious choices of bowing to the NCP unnerved positions and that of the USA’s push for regime change. The air was already filled with ominous speculations, one of which the SPLM might announce a boycott or pull out from the upcoming general election altogether, in revenge to isolate further the President who is accused (allegedly) of having masterminded killings in the region of Darfur, the human right lie the big boys (Westerners) prank to confuse third world countries, when in fact the agenda lies with economic and political brief. The others (rumors) were internal sensitive matters of who should be elected to contest as candidate for the party, as well as the endorsement of Mr. Al Mahdi of the Umma party as an overall candidate of the Juba All Parties Groups. Fortunately however, none of the above, except an amorphous stand that calls for rejection of the proposal, with the hope that the other side must climb down. I stand with my leaders and give them my utmost appreciation for job well done. But granted, the issues at hand were weren’t laughing matters, they were just hot potatoes. Why? Because we were asked by the giver to take it or leave it- eat a humble pie.

I just want to remind our President, His Excellency Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit to stand firm in the midst of current crisis. By the beginning of this month, our President has started to wear our look and this is commended! Sir, your no to second citizenship product is indeed a no with capital n. You will be our Joshua right to the Promised Land, if you keep the banner our march for freedom undiluted/undisrupted. Thank you sir! One thing though is of prime importance: stop Mr. Amum and his cohorts from dancing the tune of the holier than thou Uncle Sam fuddy-duddy. There is time for everything, and at this time, Sudanese need peace and dialogue, not conspiracies and hostilities against Khartoum. Something ought to be done to avoid going back to square one. Washington and the Turabi/JEM have colluded to wreck the CPA using Darfur tragedy as a clever ruse. Benydit, think about this, the very one you once asked: if Washington made her way and power changes hands in Khartoum, what will be the fate of the CPA under a new political orientation?

Mr. President, don’t lose focus, the Southern public opinion is with you; never bank on theories that touted the idea of renegotiating the CPA to accommodate Darfur and other interests of power hungry politicians. Please sir, as the sun comes up from the West to the East at its time, the standards and dictates of the CPA, will deliver new Sudan in another name. The ever insistence by a few to create new Sudan over the bones of our fallen 2 millions lives, using contours that are foreign based is injurious and an insult to our heroes, from 1955 in Torit under our great martyr Fr. Saturino right to the time of De Mabior and his colleagues (Kerubino, William, Oduho, Nyachigak, Arok, Kulang, Manyiel, Majier etc). I know who you are, right from (my) Moon Light Formation in Itang to you overseeing training in Bongo, then to Tiger Battalion as a commander. When Garang was killed, we turned our hope on you. You suited the seat and in fact you started on a right footing. You have been (are) tough and true and this has earned you a place among many freedom fighters. Your non tribal scripts and the ride on judicious mastery have then distinguished you among others at the top. May be that was then. But sir, your own eyes have seen the depth of our commitment against coming together with Arabs. Stop those black sheep among us who are in the school of Mading Deng Majok. Stand with the NCP even if the going seemed to be impossible anymore. President Al Bashir will not fail! Take it from this small and unimportant author. History must be avoided from happening again. Listen to the words of wisdom from Uncle Bona Malwal Madut.

To Political Bureau: now, that you have announced rejecting the Machar-Taha deal, what is the next viable step from there, in relation to that important exercise? Your tone sounds is remarkable to that of Dr. Al Turabi and the Sadiq Al Mahdi, did you agree behind our back to do away with the NCP and the CPA altogether and if yes, then come clean on the way forward in written. It seems as if you have hijacked the process leading to peace in Sudan in response to Hillary call to unite Sudan. Kindly rise to the challenge and reconsider your stand that is widely going to widen the rift between the two of you. Even if no one denies that the NCP are wrong given the physical environmental challenges the South will find itself in to conduct the exercise, your prejudices against the NCP have taken over the process and this is not friendly in the long run.

The party big wigs whose political popularity rates go higher once they shout the loudest against the NCP are spoiled for the big fall out. These men characteristically don’t feel the pain of going public with a lie. Last night a huge figure went public that a fugitive must be arrested first before people go for election. What a gamble! If one connects together the unsaid/dots it is possible to run away with the feeling that the SPLM is ahead with a project to withdraw from the election. I don’t think a right minded person can call for Al Bashir arrest when the same man called Bashir has opened up his ‘wallet’ and ‘chair’ to make room for this apologist to drive a huge car and other accompanies. Call him by any name, but Omar de Clerk must be left alone to complete peace in Southern Sudan and to return displaced persons from camps in Darfur (next year inshallah).

The Bureau therefore must be reminded of few things as they go on to please their western backers, the USA, France and Britain. They got to be mindful about the aspiration of the people of Southern Sudan first and foremost. Once must start from the constituency it represents. No matter the West attractive new Sudan through Kiir installment in Khartoum by dropping Al Bashir, our leaders should not be in a hurry to jump to bed with Northerners when their hands are still wet with our blood. Our people have suffered a great deal and moments like these ones (under CPA tutelage) are rarely easy to come by. After all, who knows whether the crash (changing regime) would be easy to achieve anything similar to the CPA arrangement. Boycott of the election should not be given attention at all, if the SPLM intention is driving slowly there. The party represents a stake of people who never had opportunities in life and this is their time under His Excellency the President of the Republic, Field Marshal Omar Hassan Ahmed Al Bashir. Looking around compare to where we came from, we should thank that god-man of Nazareth for his love for everyone.

If the fear of President Kiir losing out in the upcoming once he contests against Al Bashir, then we aren’t serious. This issue needs not to be allowed to temper with an important step called election leading to Referendum. We strongly urged the SPLM top brass to think again. Projecting a junior, furthermore, to contest an election with Al Bashir in this particular meeting won’t help matters. Our home political temperatures on these matters are matters to concern anyone if this project sees the light. I am so encouraged however about the belatedly good working relationship between benydit (Gen. Kiir) and kuar madit (Dr. Machar); this is indeed beautiful and gives both the credit. The two needs each other for the sake of smooth transition later from Kiir to Machar. Even there is a need for them to work together with Madame Rebecca Garang, she is huge and has a lot the two can benefit instead of isolating her while the chiefs from Northern Bahr El Ghazal have taken firmly her position. Others include Mr. Abel Alier, Gen. Joseph Lagu and Dr. Gama Hassan, Dr. Zachariah Boll Deng among other members of the then High Executive Council.

Having said few remarks above, am optimistic that the likes of Mr. Nhial Deng, Mr. Pagan Amum, John Luk Joak, Dr. Samson Kwaje, Michael Makuei, Dr. Ann Itoo, Dr. Joyce Kwaje and others, who participated in the Naivasha Peace talks from day one, will not burry their heads when crop of new leaders who never had opportunity to test how difficult its to make peace than war. Its true being disenfranchised is painful, but still there is need to finish the job in the face of difficulties. So long as the ballot boxes and the exercise will be done in the South, there is no big deal to worry too much. We will arrive at 66% by ballot box or through other painful means (Gen. Oth’s boxes). Other areas of post independence financial compensation and arrangements are also not big issues. Our beloved Vice President hasn’t blinked and flinched in his marathon talks with Vice President Ustaz Osman Mohamed Al Taha. Don’t betray him; he knows what he is doing, please! If he agrees who are you to say no? He cares for this land so much and has done great to what we know now as GOSS. Everything there therefore doesn’t require pulling away; it will give the NCP hardliners to finish off the agreement in total. Nothing even will stop if the party pulls out, the election will go ahead as planned.

Before you go, your indulgence, the process has started somewhat very promising, especially within our ten states. The President has encouraged people to come out and his call has been heeded. Some states of course are still struggling to get their registration practices done on time, but others are ahead with high turn out. Question of our brothers and sisters in our sister states of East Africa is nonetheless a case worth attention. We have enough young students and even families who want to be part of the historical exercise but they are being denied their rights to participate. The selective policy by the National Election Commission (NEC) on the behest of the NCP to use few countries in Europe and America to represent Diaspora votes is something that must be rejected, and need rectification immediately. You never know, this will spill over to Referendum voting in the same manner. I applause the action of our patriotic youths/students, who staged that demonstration in Nairobi-Kenya on Thursday, in protest against the unjust treatment by the NEC. His Excellency the Ambassador of the Sudan to Kenya, a Southerner (Mr. Majok Guandong), was biased and should be advised to be extra careful next time. We can go and on to recount issues that are pertinent, situations in which we can hold the NCP party responsible, nevertheless, it’s prudent to weigh consequences of our actions as to the ultimate objective. Our leaders are urged to fight for accommodation under the current CPA structure tan run to Washington never coming heavens!

The author is based in Juba; he is on [email protected]