Sudan’s Kiir faces two contenders for the SPLM chairmanship
By Isaac Vuni
May 14, 2008 (JUBA) — Two contenders declared their candidacy for the chairmanship of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement against Salva Kiir Mayadrit in the Second National Convention set to begin tomorrow.
Riek Machar Teny, GoSS Vice-President and Nhial Deng Nhial, former minister of Regional cooperation who was in voluntary exile in London expressed their readiness to contest against President Salva Kiir Mayardit for the SPLM leadership in the coming national convention that kicks off tomorrow at 09:00 am Sudan local time at Nyakuron Cultural center in Juba.
The move by the two contenders came as a surprise to many delegates and masses of southern Sudan who had expected that Salva Kiir to be the sole candidate.
However, the Interim National Liberation Council together with Interim Political Bureau are hammering out how best to reconcile or accommodate Riek Machar and Nhial Deng ambitions, otherwise, the general feeling that Salva Kiir will be reelected as chairman of the movement.
Sources from the secretariat also disclosed that southern Sudan parliament speaker, James Wani Igga and governor of Blue Nile Malik Agar Eyer both Deputy Chairmen of SPLM will have to battle it out through a democratic election process with Malik being backed by more than 500 northern out of 1520 nation wide delegates.
Meanwhile the current holder of SPLM Secretary General position, Pagan Amum Okeck is reported to have back down while Taban Deng Gai, governor of unity state who have lost in the SPLM state congress is contesting for secretary general together with Amon Mon Wantok.
Regarding the SPLM Deputy Secretary General for southern sector, Comrade Dr. Anne Itto so far has no challenger meanwhile for the northern sector; Yassir Arman is to face stiff challenge from Modul Rajab Ismail from western Sudan.
The Chairman of Convention Organizing Committee, James Wani Igga is on record that both the members of Interim National Liberation Council and Interim Political Bureau office holders would have to be dissolved themselves in order to pave way for fair and democratic election.
The SPLM national convention scheduled to have started from 10th to 16 May was postponed due to the Justice and Equality Movement attack against Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman on Saturday 10th May 2008. Being mindful of its role in CPA partnership, SPLM political bureau decided to postpone the convention in order to give more time for the Sudanese first vice president to address in threats of JEM in the capital of the country.
EQUATORIAL DELEGATES TO VOTE FOR VISIONARY LEADERS
In another development, the former minister of infrastructure of Central Equatoria state, Elikaya Aligo appeal to all greater Equatorial delegates to cast their vote for visionary leaders who will not sell or betray the cause of the people of southern Sudan. Regarding the alleged domination by central equatorial in the GoSS cabinet, he say some of them came from different parties than SPLM, therefore such disparity should whosoever not split the vote of greater equatorial during the convention.
Meanwhile MP Nartision Loluke, representative of Eastern Equatoria state in Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly in Juba, reiterated that all the SPLM governors, state secretaries and commissioners who lost their position during the state congresses should immediately be replaced because they have failed to promote the vision, mission and objective of the SPLM to the grassroots and hence it will be suicide to maintained the in those positions.
(ST)