Absurdity of the Sudan ruling party
By Parek Maduot
July 9, 2008 — Newspapers in Khartoum are reporting that General Omer al-Bashir, that paragon of democratic sentiment and constitutional legitimacy, otherwise known as the President of the long-suffering nation of Sudan, has ordered the lifting of the immunity of Mr. Pagan Amum, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs in the Government of Sudan, and the formation of an investigative committee to question him.
Many of you must have heard of the recent ruckus thrown up by the NCP about some remarks uttered by Mr. Amum at a symposium in Khartoum in which he illustrated the point that Sudan exhibits all the parameters of a failed state with rampant corruption, abuse of the citizenry and official misrule. I am paraphrasing, but he was basically diagnosing what he perceives as the ills of a nation that has been at war since independence, leads the globe in the number of its subjects that are refugees and internally displaced and is now led by a government that continues to abrogate its own recently instituted constitution that outlaws official press censorship and other human rights abuses. His remarks, echoed by fellow panelists, Dr. Hassan Elturabi of the Popular Congress Party and Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim Nugud of the Communist Party, were so obviously true that they would have barely elicited anything more than a nod from anyone remotely informed about Sudan. However, the NCP of President ElBashir, in the person of some of its most notoriously thin-skinned cadres hit the roof and accused the Minister of something approaching a capital offense for stating such obvious facts.
The SPLM rightfully came to the defense of their Secretary General’s right to express his views as a Sudanese, and rightfully implored the hot-headed NCP officials to focus on more pressing issues instead of instigating a ridiculous row over the remarks. Apparently, that advice was not heeded and the President of the Republic, more accurately acting in his capacity as the leader of the pack of intimidators in Khartoum called the NCP, decided to test the limits of the SPLM’s patience by lifting the immunity of the Minister and unveiling some sham investigation.
I say he is testing the limits of the SPLM because I am sure he knows that his decision is devoid of any foundation, and is an outright violation of the Interim Constitution and the CPA. The bill of rights gives all Sudanese the right to express their views fully without fear, and protects that right comprehensively without regard to the person’s official capacity. Moreover, the CPA clearly outlined a process to ensure collegial decision making from the Presidency, and grants the leader of the SPLM veto powers over major decisions such as the investigation of the Senior Cabinet Minister who is there on the SPLM ticket. This last intent was violated because the Presidency as whole did not authorize such a decision but was instead promulgated by President al-Bashir alone. I know it is futile to argue rules and agreements and covenants when you are dealing with the NCP, but I just wanted to state the obvious.
In his infinite wisdom, President al-Bashir, the protector of the sovereign nation and its honor, has apparently designated two fellow Ministers of the accused, General Bakri Hassan Salih and Mr. AbdelBassit Sabdarat, to lead this so called investigation. I could not suppress a slight laugh at the absurdity of these two fellows, long-serving NCP stalwarts since the early days of the illegal coup to the period of rampant torture and executions at the Ghost Houses of Khartoum and Juba, leading anything remotely related to the quest for facts, which is what an investigation is. I think these two fellows, in any country of laws, would be themselves subjects of inquiry for their own potential crimes of deed, and not just talk.
Mind you, this is a President who has never ever, in 19 years in power, lifted the immunity of one single Minister or senior official for any sort of misconduct as far as we know. His defense Minister was promoted despite complicity in serious allegations of misconduct while running the Interior Ministry. A state Minister and another recently appointed official are wanted by the International Criminal Court for serious crimes in the genocide of Darfur. Countless Ministers and Governors continue serving despite obvious indications of serious misappropriation of public funds, sponsorship of murderous local militias and devious involvement in the affairs of neighboring countries.
How can someone who sanctions the continued protection of such officials find the temerity to even disagree with the salient facts presented by the accused Minister, leave alone lift their immunity and subject them to a ridiculous investigation? I think the answer to that question will come when we hear the response of the SPLM to this absurdity.
The author is a Sudanese residing in the USA, email [email protected], Blog: http://waunar.blogspot.com
The Wiseman
Absurdity of the Sudan ruling party
Good, SPLM must defend its strong member because what he said was on the behalf of the party. Incase suspension is the solution, then Kiir and all his associates in the party should undergo suspension and investigation. The party had already said this since 1983 and that was why it rebelled. Now SPLM is staring if the failed state will admit change and if not, the South will secede from the Republic of Sudan and be a country of her own. What is special with suspension since Pagan, on the behalf of the SPLM is saying Sudan is corrupt and failed which was already stated in 1983 and he only rehearsed based on the expected change? Bashir must not despise SPLM/A
First reason!
Gatwech
Absurdity of the Sudan ruling party
Maduot,
I agree with your points in the article but you have also beaten around the bush by generalizing a reaction from the SPLM. I don’t understand whether you mean the SPLM leadership or not.
First of all, Pagan Amum is the Secretary General of SPLM party and a Minister of Cabinet Affairs in GoNU representing the SPLM.
Before we all wait for any response from the SPLM, I still have questions in mind since this issue of Pagan’s statement came up several days ago before his immunity lifted or investigation committee formed.
Has Salva Kiir discussed this issue in the Presidency with Omer el Beshir? Have they agreed to lift the immunity of pagan and committee formed to investigate him? If not, why is Salva Kiir silent on this issue?
This is very confusing because this is why we have the so-called Presidency to resolve matters that would lead to violation of CPA or violation of the Constitution. We are losing every time in that Presidency! The incompetent Kiir will always fail us!
I believe Beshir will one day suspend Salva Kiir himself, if he rules the Presidency!
Gat nyaraan
Absurdity of the Sudan ruling party
GOSS learn the game
what is the next step of GOSS concerning the removal of immunity from mr.Pagan Amum? after Pagan ‘s statements i read about the man who is actually running the Affairs of sudan being so furious. than the next step i imagine is that he went to the palace and dictate to president Basher what to do; i.e the decision to remove the imunity from the minister of cabinet, Mr.Pagan. there is no choice for Albasher except to execute N.A.N demand becasue he is the one running the government(N.A.N).
one piece of advice to GOSS:
.dont let this decision to be effect, else if it happen the worse is coming, they will even think of removing…..
.If they ensist to remove imunity from Mr.Pagan, i think that the best response of GOSS to that;is one which will make NCP politicians heads spin e.g contract with the first enemy of Iran,or removing any NCP vital minister from GOSS. or suspension of north ghost ghost companies working in juba(they are the spys of NCP).
and alot more retaliatory(if GOSS is soft about these matters the NCP will think of shareah law in the south again) decisions….. to make it one -to-one or even best make two-to -one so that they will think first in the future and dicuss such vital decisions with vice president GN.Kiir(the GOSS learn about the immunity removal of Mr.Pagan through media).
James Okuk Solomon
Absurdity of the Sudan ruling party
From the silence of the Vice President Kiir till this moment, it seems to suggest that he is telling H.E. the SPLM Secretary-General, Pagan Amum that let him carry his own cross which he fixed in the Forum of the Communists Newspaper, Freedom Bells (Agras al-Huriya). The issue is very tricky. Let me put it in this logical form:
Premise 1:
If Salve Kiir defends Pagan Amum, he will make himself look unpatriotic.
Premise 2:
His defense will be interpreted as affirmation of the Sudan as a “Failed and Corrupt State.”
Premise3:
And If he affirms this new definition of the Sudan it will mean he is also affirming himself as a “failed and corrupt” leader because he is part of the administration of the “Failed and Corrupt Sudan”.
Premise 4:
Salve Kiir does not want to affirm himself as a “failed and Corrupt” leader of the “Failed and Corrupt Sudan”.
Conclusion:
Therefore Salva Kiir is reluctant to defend his Cadre who is the Minister of the Ministers of the Sudan.
This is simple logic and I hope Mr. BIG-LOGIC-BOY can get this logical argument.
From this argument, a critical person can understand why Salva Kiir prefers others to defend Pagan Amum and help him with the journey of the heavy cross he put in his shoulders.That is why you see the arrogant American Sudanese who hold SPLM Chapters abroad defending H.E. Pagan Amum in isolation. This may look wise because these Afro-Americans have decided to take American Nationality by naturalization and use America passports and other official documents. Since Sudan’s constitution does not allow dual citizenship, then these Sudanese-American are not considered legally as Sudanese even if they have Sudanese marks on their foreheads. This is the truth and you can insult this truth if you like.
A similar comparison: The Republic of Costa Rico was insulted last month by the top Sudanese diplomat in New York to be “a Banana State”. But the insult did not come from any government official of the Costa Rico itself; it was from outside. There is no problem for a top official of one country insulting another Country as long as his country is not interested in building a good relationship with the insulted country. But there is a problem with a top official of a country insulting his own Country because he will be regarded as unpatriotic if he does. H.E. Pagan should have left the outsiders to insult Sudan but not himself joining them in the insults, especially when he has decided to make rebellion as a past history and embrace CPA partnership in Sudan government with all it levels (National, Southern, State and Local.
The unfortunate statement of the ‘immunity-lifted’ Minister of the Ministry of the Council of Ministers makes him to look unpatriotic and Anti-CPA. If Sudan is a “Failed and Corrupt State” then it implies that all those who are involved in its government are failed and corrupt too because ‘failure’ and ‘corruption’ does not occurs by itself. This statement implicate and pains the Sudanese SPLM members, but of course it does not pain the Foreign SPLM members who do not care about the image of the Sudan because they have deserted it and become foreign nationals serving foreign interests.
Mr Point
Absurdity of the Sudan ruling party
The reports so far have not said what law Mr Pagan Amum has broken.
What immunity is being lifted? It is the immunity that was originally set up to protect NIF security ministers from prosecution for war crimes
Let all rejoice that the Sudan Constitution declares Sudan to be a “democratic, decentralized, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-lingual State.”
Freedom of Expression and Media
39 (1) Every citizen shall have an unrestricted right to the freedom of expression, reception and dissemination of information, publication, and access to the press without prejudice to order, safety or public morals as determined by law.