SPLM Lakes confident to win governorship in poll

By Manyang Mayom

February 19, 2010 (RUMBEK) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement
(SPLM) leadership in Lakes state assumed a confident outlook for the
upcoming election for both the governorship and parliamentary seats.
The party has chosen an unopposed MP candidate to be the governor
campaign’s official spokesman in the state.

Mabor Ater Dhuol Kooc, SPLM media campaign spokesperson, said that he
will be speaking on behalf of the campaign team and reporting to the
media positively. Mabor Ater became unopposed in geographical
constituency 7 of Mayom during the primary nomination process in Lakes
state.

The mobilization campaign had already set up a team comprised of
different professionals for resource mobilization, political analysis,
a ‘think tank’ group, financial management, communications team and
security group plus information technology. The same structures are
expected for the county level campaigns.

“SPLM campaign is going to grassroots — we will be working with all
media including international and we will protect both media from any
harm,” said Mabor.

The SPLM governor candidate, Eng. Chol Tong, is challenged by three
political parties — Mabor affirmed that “we are taking them
seriously”.

“SPLM has got supporters from grassroots and we have no question about
SPLM winning the election – SPLM will win more seats and the
governorship. The independent candidates are from this area and their
policy and our SPLM policy will make the difference on the ground,” he
said.

However, Mabor said the party is ready to accept defeat in case it
loses the election in Lakes state at the level of the governorship. He
said that “If we fail to have governorship position in Lakes state in
this coming election, then we will be happy because we cannot reject
the choice of the people – there is no problem at all – if ANC- Sudan,
NCP or UDSF took over power through the people’s vote”.

The state-owned Radio FM-98 has allowed only fifteen minutes daily
other political parties to share their campaign manifestos with the
public as well ten minutes are given to independent candidates. There
are a lot of complains from both independent candidates and others
political parties’ speakers that Radio Rumbek is biased in its
campaign coverage.

(ST)