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SPLA Command after Kiir candidacy

Lt. Gen. Kiir steps down, Lt. Gen. Matip takes over the SPLA Command!

By James Okuk

January 12, 2010 — If it becomes true in few days that H.E. Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit is going to contest for GoSS Presidency, the 2008 Elections Act shall require him to pull out the military uniform and titles on himself and put on civilian suit or Nigerian Jellabia even if he wears it with a cowboy hat.

If Kiir is serious to contest for April 2010 general elections in the Sudan at any level of government, he is supposed to resign immediately from being the Commander-in-Chief of the SPLA, which is considered as a non-partisan army of Southern Sudan.

That means Lt. Gen. Paulino Matip Nhial should be the next person to take over the SPLA commandership in Chief because he is the deputy SPLA C-In-C to Kiir. The same good luck that came to Kiir after the untimely death of Dr. John Garang de Mabior should be allowed to come to Matip too with Kiir’s aspiration to run for a civilian executive post in the coming elections. May be this shall be the end of Kiir’s political life or the real beginning of it; who knows!!!

Those who thought that the position of deputy SPLA C-in-C that was assigned to Pualino Matip in 2006 was just an accommodation post without powers, are going to regret their foolish conspiracy if they attempt to overlook and down-step him.

If Kiir sends his nomination application to the NEC without retirement first and giving the top SPLA powers to Paulino Matip or whoever he trusts, he will surely get disqualified from contesting April 2010 elections. Hon. Molana Abel Alier shall not compromise or sympathize with Kiir if he fails to fulfill the nomination conditions. This shall be excellent news to Kiir’s opponents so that he goes home shamefully and leave the public affairs of South Sudan to the right-leader-for-the job. H.E. President Al-Bashir has smelled the rat of National Elections Commission (NEC) and he wisely resigned his military title and took off the green uniform peacefully to avoid any rush-hour embarrassment before polling date.

But as we speak now, I am a bit disappointed that Dr. Riek Machar is slow in reacting to the pressing political events as it is said that politics is an art of both action and reaction. This attitude has its own credits and debits but there is nothing called “politician retiring and waiting for luck without sweat.” If Dr. Riek is tolerating Kiir’s and company’s leadership conspiracies on a rationale that the referendum is at the doors and Kiir should not be disturbed because he is the only left founder of the SPLM/A, what is the guarantee that referendum shall be achieved in the South under Kiir’s bad governance and failed leadership? What is the guarantee that Dr. Riek shall be strong and alive by that time? Dr. Riek should remember the Bible wise quote that warned the foolish rich men of storing their hopes and riches on uncertain future.

Dr. Riek should be a serious actor and reactor if he intends to be a savvy politician. He should not be pushed to lead the people; rather he should pull the people behind him as a leader. I admire his patience but I don’t like his political apathy and coolness when it is time to react to unfolding events. Political apathy doesn’t help when dealing with ignorant and arrogant mentalities like those trying to throw him out of SPLM Politburo’s window in order to block his chances of becoming a top leader in the SPLM, and may be, in the Government of Southern Sudan.

If Dr. Riek Machar is realizing that Kiir and the company are totally blocking him from his opportunities for political future, I suggest to him in return to press hard on Kiir to issue a presidential decree appointing Gen. Paulino Matip Nhial as the SPLA top man or relieving him if not. If Kiir refuses, then Dr. Riek should unite with Lt. Gen. Matip and deal with the conspiracy accordingly. It will never be acceptable to appoint someone above Matip if he is still the SPLM deputy C-in-C; Matip should be the one to take the lead or he should be told to go home so that someone else could take over the command of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army.

No joke anymore; it is the right time to face the facts in the right place.

Dr. James Okuk can be reached at [email protected]

26 Comments

  • thieleling
    thieleling

    SPLA Command after Kiir candidacy
    Dr. James Okuk,

    Excellent Analysis!! Thanks

    Reply
  • Kim Deng
    Kim Deng

    SPLA Command after Kiir candidacy
    Dr. Okuk,

    Don’t worry, this suicide and cheap conspiracy gainst Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon won’t work and it will fail like the SPLM 2nd National Convention dirty game because it was already intercepted.

    Reply
  • Gatwech
    Gatwech

    SPLA Command after Kiir candidacy
    Dr. James Okuk,

    I share your concerns. And these are the concerns of the majority of the people of South Sudan who push Dr. Riek Machar to be serious this time and not allow the South to continue in the hands of incompetence.

    But I believe the SPLM Political Bureau is not ready to foolishly decide to make Kiir run for GOSS presidency. I hope they will nominate Dr. Riek Machar unless they are not making right decisions….

    I hope Kiir who united the ranks and file in 2006 and has been helped by Dr. Riek Machar since bush time, will not allow the South to disintegrate because of imposing himself as leader on the people who do not need his leadership style any more…

    The next few days will decide the fate of South Sudan as the candidate is declared…

    Reply
  • Time1
    Time1

    SPLA Command after Kiir candidacy
    Okuk only the president of south sudan takes the commander in cheif positiion of the SPLA, not one else takes it, If Kirr is finish with politics then the next president of south sudan will be the commander in chief of the south sudan army, deputy commander can not be promoted to commander in chief, also remember the new president will also pick a new deputy commander in chief or retain the old one, it will be up to him, commander in chief position is only reserve for the person who is president of south sudan. When a new president comes he will have the choice to pick new deputy commander in chief and New defence ministr, everything else stays under the military command affairs only with no interference from the political side. However Kirr will still remain the commander in chief, because the president automatically becomes the commander in chief of the arms forces.

    Reply
  • Panda-Oyee
    Panda-Oyee

    SPLA Command after Kiir candidacy
    Dear readers,

    leave James Okuk and Catwech alone for them are mad men who have been cursed into unproductive and boring political analysis.

    Can anyone who tell where in the world can someone be commander-in-chief of the armed forces when he is not a president? This question is reqarding James Okuk’s negative claim of Matip Nhail’s becoming C-in-C of SPLA when Salva Kiir step down as army chief to fulfill the criteria of NEC.Well, the correction is, the criteria does not apply to candidates seeking for Southern Sudan presidency.
    Further more Salva Kiir still remain commander-in-chief of the SPLA even if he step down as army chief as there is wide known difference between being army commander from being C-in-C of the armed forces.

    Catwech!

    “You argued in your somewhere commend that NCP can forge alliance with SPLM to safe guide the CPA”

    “The SPLM should just confirm Al-Bashir as president and Salva Kiir as First Vice President.
    You blindly continued and appointed out in second paragraph that “”In the South, the SPLM should nominate Dr. Riek Machar as the party’s candidate for the presidency in the South”
    That above contradicting statement to the CPA reveals you as really political naive who has no knowledge about the CPA you always sings as a song in every comment of yours.

    Look, the CPA artice 2.3.7 stated that The President shall be elected in national elections, the timing of which shall be
    subject to the agreement of the two parties. The President elect shall appoint two
    Vice Presidents, one from the South and the other from the North. If the
    President-elect is from the North, the position of the First Vice President shall be
    filled by the person who has been elected to the post of President of the
    Government of Southern Sudan, as the President’s appointee to the said position.
    In the event that a person from the South wins the Presidential elections, the
    President-elect shall appoint the First Vice President from the North. All the
    other provisions in this Agreement relating to the presidency shall continue to
    apply.

    Reply
  • Atem Angok
    Atem Angok

    SPLA Command after Kiir candidacy
    To James Okuk,
    Your hatred/grudge against Muonyjang will not shiver them. You are son of bitch who will die with hatred in his heart.
    You will never see leadership in the south with that spirit of pitting southerners against one another.
    If you are not fool, Then what is the relationship between Kiir’s leadership and Riek aspiring presidency if not pitting?
    Dog remains dog even if trained for modernity and you are like that with useless PhD you are holding.

    Reply
  • pan guich
    pan guich

    SPLA Command after Kiir candidacy
    Onething that, you have to know nobody was born to be come a leader for the whole of his live ,change has aright of people if commander salva Kiir M went for candidacy then ,
    Lt:Gen.Paulino Matip has to take over the responsibility.
    After Lt:Gen.salva Kiir M.fail for his contesy malei ya thet for your failure

    Reply
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