Touring Lakes counties, Kiir says not to harass opponents

By Manyang Mayom

April 2, 2010 (RUMBEK) — The incumbent president of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) and First Vice President of the Republic of Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, sharply criticized his rival from the SPLM-DC party but also told supporters in Lakes state not to harass members of other political parties.

Kiir arrived at Rumbek the capital of Lakes state on Thursday. He is the SPLM presidential candidate contesting against SPLM-DC challenger Dr. Lam Akol.

In a rally held in Wulu of Lakes state on Thursday, Salva Kiir called for a peaceful election campaign across Lakes state. “I don’t want any SPLM supporters to harass any member of another political party – if you commit any harassment to other political parties, then NEC (National Elections Commission) will open a case against me and I will be speechless,” said Salva Kiir.

Likewise, Lakes state caretaker Governor Telar Ring Deng reaffirmed that he would put in place maximum protection for all political parties during the campaign phase until the polling days.

Kiir toured in a number of counties of Lakes state during Thursday and Friday. After arrival in Rumbek on April 1, he immediately held three rallies in Wulu county, Cueibet county and Rumbek Central County on day one of his schedule; he also held one rally in Rumbek North County and one in Akot Payam of Rumbek East County.

However, his campaign trip was cut short due to an emergency meeting held Friday night in Juba where his presence was needed. Consequently, he missed scheduled stops in Yirol West County and Yirol East County. Beautiful preparations made in Yirol West County of Lakes state for the welcoming of the Southern presidential candidate were thus not put to use. Mayardit sent his apologies through Lakes state caretaker Telar Ring Deng to convey his message to people of Greater Yirol that he promises to come back after the end of the emergency meeting in Juba. However, the public of Yirol West County remained very disappointed over Kiir’s failure to visit them.

Kiir also donated to a girl’s primary school and gave one electricity generator to Wulu County for the first time.

During one speech he criticized Southerners running as independent candidates, saying “independent candidate are not doing SPLM agenda, all independent candidates are doing their own agenda far from SPLM vision – if the independent candidates deceive you that they are working for SPLM objectives, that is completely a lie – independent candidates are not loyal to SPLM party and if they were loyal, they should have considered SPLM’s mission,” said Kiir.

Mayardit affirmed that “you (should) keep all your votes to SPLM officially nominated candidates contesting for various seats in both national level and states as well GOSS parliament.”

He said “SPLM is the only party who knew all your condition and it is the only political party that will save you. We have suffered with you during the war, we drank bad water, we slept with you in terrible places and common diseases affected our community such as guinea worm due to drinking dirty water, we have also witnessed Antinov bombings, so which party among all those political parties now can assumed that to had suffer with you during the struggle in the bush for 22 years?” Asked Kiir.

Kiir also said that if war comes again, all those other political parties’ members will run back abroad and “you will remain with the SPLM party which daily defends you – if war returns again to this country, I will close all borders, airports and road transport and let us shoulder coming bullet fire without anyone to escape away in threat of bombardment from an enemy zone.”

In the same vein, he brought up his opponent Dr. Lam Akol, saying it was surprising to him that Akol presumed he could rule Southern Sudan. “Which army would accept his orders? Which public would listen to him? If I am given just a traditional chance to wrestle with Lam Akol, I will still throw him down.”

Mayardit affirmed “we will defeat him through your votes – we will not kill him by bullets or spear. The SPLM will defeat Lam Akol of SPLM-DC with votes in this coming election. SPLM have a clear mission for the people of Southern Sudan – just vote me into power of Southern Sudan presidency — SPLM will meet all your needs.”

IN CUEIBET COUNTY

Over seven thousand people turned out in Cueibet county of Lakes state to welcome the GOSS president; this was his first time to visit Cueibet County since the signing of the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

Kiir first went straight to the tomb of late Paramount Chief Jok Dau Kachol who was killed in crossfire last month during fighting between armed civilians and SPLA soldiers over an attempt to break into a weapons store.

Rhun Arol, Cueibet Chief, offered a traditional Dinka shell to Salva Kiir Mayardit. “Take this black shell – it belongs to the Dinka people of Cueibet County (Gok tribesmen). This shell is used by us Dinka to resist trouble with it – take it and you will resist complex problems that are facing Southern Sudanese people with it. This black shell will empower you a lot,” said Chief Rhun Arol at late paramount chief Jok Dau Kachol’s grave on Thursday.

President Salva Kiir said at the rally held at Cueibet football field that “the death of paramount chief Jok Dau Kachol is a great lost to SPLM party. It is painful death to SPLM party. Investigation is running and in fact will be delivered to you people of Jok Dau with satisfactory result – cry inside your stomach without making any alarm of trouble and get confident that SPLM party will not let you down at all cost over Chief Dau’s death.”

Kiir mentioned that the late chief had accommodated SPLA soldiers on the march to Bilpam, Ethiopia during the guerilla period when SPLA went to Ethiopia for arms.

“The Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) is a most disciplined army. Preparations are done to separate the army from public places. There are barracks created for SPLA army to stay without meeting civilian population,” said Kiir. He also promise that those soldiers who committed killing of civilians in Akot and Cueibet are going to face justice if investigations could implicate them.

REACTION TO ARMAN’S WITHDRAWAL

Lakes state residents were quietly negative in reaction to the news of Yasir Arman’s withdrawal from the race for Sudan’s presidency. Street boys and officials alike are unhappy with the SPLM Political Bureau decision for Arman to withdraw.

Salva Kiir Mayardit announced that the SPLM Political Bureau had decided to withdraw its national presidential candidate on Wednesday because NCP is causing a lot of irregularities in this forthcoming April election.

Kiir justified the decision saying that “there are signs of rigging of votes by NCP in this coming election– there is ongoing war in Darfur and security laws are not passed, Abyei popular consultation, Blue Nile popular consultation plus border demarcation have not been implemented by NCP.”

A resident of Rumbek, Mose Taban, affirmed “I am not going to vote whether Salva Kiir or whoever needs my vote. I had already made my mind to vote for Arman who really suffered because of Southerners. He was arrested because of us and did Salva Kiir or whoever leader in South Sudan go to jail because of us? I love Yasir Arman and I need him to be reinstated back to contest with Omar Al-Bashir of NCP immediately…”

(ST)