SPLM: The de facto political party of South Sudan

By Dau Reng

April 8, 2009 — The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the installation of the Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan thereof is facilitating transformation of South Sudan political landscape. The politically friendly environment has open flood gates for new political parties to emerge and the old ones to be re-resurrected. New political organizations are being formed by former Sudan liberation movements, militia groups, student unions, concerned citizens and even individual freelancers. Some of the emerging South Sudan political parties have clearly advanced in their organizations structural formations. Unfortunately many of the emerging political parties to say the least remain incoherently organized as so far as their vision and programs for the country the indent to lead are concerned.

As a believer that people are a function of their environment, I do somewhat understand as to why this is the case given the history of the old Sudan political system where political prominence and popularity or power thereof meant out flanking other existing political parties to be the most radical Islamist for the advancement of Arabinazation and Islamization ideology mixed with military Industrial Complex policies. Therefore, as a function of the old political system, many of the emerging political organizations in South Sudan are adopting the same strategy but trending towards out flanking each other on which party is more of Southern nationalist and or topping the gifts to the people promised by other parties.

However, the people and the political scene of the New Sudan also known as South Sudan is more complex than that of the people and the political playground of the Old Sudan also known as North Sudan and referred to as Khartoum government. These realities of the New Sudan encapsulated in South Sudan present a greater challenge for the emerging political organizations as they rushed to form and transform themselves. I m of the view that most of these organizations are seriously failing to articulate a vision for South Sudan beyond self-determination which is synonymous with secession to many Southerners or the unity of Sudan thereby leaving the Sudan’s People Liberation Movement (SPLM), the only seasoned political organization in South Sudan the de facto political party of the new Sudan.

The SPLM certainly has earned South Sudanese confidence through its proven embodiment of South Sudanese aspirations for political and social liberation which they backed up with deeds and not just words during the liberation war. As the Secretary General of the SPLM Pagan Amum said during the second convention that “the SPLM has been in the past, committed and faithful to the people and never betrayed our people.” This statement is also true for some individuals who have moved to form or join the new and revitalized existing political organizations.

The SPLM also enjoys greater support because it holds the key to South Sudanese milk and honey (bread and butter) of self-determination by the virtue of it being the sole custodians of the CPA on behave of the people of the marginalized regions.

Consciously or innately I think the people of South Sudan also want to reward the SPLM for keeping their promise to the people by continuing to fight and struggle with them to the actualization of the CPA and its current progress.

The unspoken gesture of appreciation for the SPLM by South Sudanese is not unique to Sudan South as it is the trends of almost all Pan-African nationalist parties that rose during or shortly after the partition and colonization of Africa by European imperialists for example the Kenya African National Union (KANU) party of Kenya was the de facto party from independence to middle 1990s, and so did the Popular Movement of the Revolution party of Zaire enjoyed de jure single party systems from 1967 -1990s, and the Revolutionary Party or former Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) party of Tanzania (1954-1992) (example parties’ acronyms are too long and will bore some so I will stop but you get the point).

The people of South Sudan should embrace multi-party political system in South Sudan during the elections to come and after should she emerge an autonomous nation in less than two years. There should be no exception to backing a multi-party system in South Sudan even though the SPLM is historic and capable of running the Government of South Sudan (GOSS) as it have already demonstrated. Having a free multiple party system is an absolute necessity for a democratic transformation of a nation such as South Sudan whose people aspire and demand right to peace, liberty, justice, equality, and accountability among other inalienable rights. Having said that, I don’t mean that everyone who can articulate South Sudanese grievances against the Old Sudan and or able to rephrase the exhausted history of the Sudan that has become a cliché should immediately form a political party in South Sudan neither am I discouraging anyone from forming one. I just don’t want our country to go down the path of Iraqis after they were handed their freedom by the United States. 400 political parties where voted for in the recent Iraq’s election. Good luck getting a single vote. Our people have enough to worry about let alone trying to figure out who is who.

It is clear that the South Sudan Interim Constitution grants “the right to form or join political parties, associations and trade or professional unions for the protection of his or her interests.”

Common sense dictates that one should not form a political party let alone a militia because of a kneejerk reaction due to circumstances and or as a favor for an outside force. It is my observation from the information I have gathered and studied that many of the emerging political parties either lack a clear vision or are incapable of articulating their vision. I hope it is the latter. I once got a not so funny respond from a member of one of our registered South Sudan political parties while trying to compile some documented information for this opinion article. He told me that the information is not publically accessible because their programs could be stolen by other political parties. I thought to myself that having people like an organization’s ideas so much that they would want to steal them would be the greatest thing to even happen to an organization. And logic would dictate that the organization certainly has great minds behind it and thus would lead to increased membership. If realization of people’s aspirations was as simple as copying ideas as suggested then the SPLM could have just copied and pasted policies of any successful democratic country into their platform and adopt them instate of coming up with their own vision and constantly commit resources to refine it.

So I was not surprised when one person asked the SPLM delegation to Washington last week (April 3, 09) led by General Pagan Amum as to what are the other political parties in South Sudan? By the way I was sitting next to one senior member of one of the opposition parties in South Sudan. I didn’t know whether to be embarrassed for the person asking the question for being ignorant or the parties that do not make their information easily accessible to the people of South Sudan in and out of the country. It is obvious that the question got lost during the answer session. Would you help a rhino get out of a trap it felt into while chasing you?

Nevertheless, I have also observed a disturbing trend of organizations that adopted the failed tribal ideology; I guarantee that such tribal organizations have no place in South Sudan and are doomed, dead on arrival. Make no mistake that South Sudanese will not embrace but crush such ideologies. The good news is that these organizations tend to be formed by some disgruntle individuals who hijack the name of their community and abuse the name of a whole tribe, clan or what have you to spread their ill ideas. I am not too ignorant or that naïve to dismiss those organizations in such a manner but I have utmost respect and hope for the minds of our people and especially of the emerging generation (Jeich al Amer) and of the new generations hereafter for there is no room for such divisive ideas in our tiny motherland. I am afraid that these self-anointed tribal ideologists will tint all other good organizations and place them all in a political wilderness for generations. Thank Almighty none of the currently registered political parties represented in the South Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) hold such ideologies at least to my knowledge.

And then there are those unregistered freelance parties formed mainly by some in “exile” usually sponsored by foes of South Sudanese and enemies of the good. Some of these freelancers are founded by people who think that they are entitled to certain position in the GOSS or are “born to lead” and if not appeased they rebel but currently find themselves having no place in the National Congress party (NIF) payroll for it is already overburden by disgruntle former South Sudan militias (mind you the NCP does not pay for nothing, you will be the first person placed in frontlines against your own blood when time comes). The mind set of these freelance politicians and that of tribal ideologists to some extend kept us in the bush for longer than it was necessary and also denied our land peace and prosperity that painfully resulted in the lost of millions of our people in the hands of the International Criminal Court (ICC) fugitive, our president Omar Bashir and his predecessors. If South Sudan aspiring political leaders continue down this path I assure a de jure single party system in South Sudan for unforeseen time.

For a logical argument to take place however, I will not address the last two types of political organizations emerging in South Sudan hereon.

The new or the restored old Southern parties need to understand that the SPLM vision of the New Sudan have been around for over 25 years now. It has gone through extraordinary experiences that have tested it and refined it to its current form. Even today the SPLM is still continuing to grow in size and in good policies like any successful organization should do political or otherwise. The transformation of the SPLM has advantaged its leaders and members that they are able to clearly articulate their message to the masses and thereby continue to effectively spread its message to all corners of the Sudan and the world at large. It would not be a bad idea to those who are contemplating forming and registering a political party in South Sudan and those that have already done so before having thoroughly thought of their goals for the new nation to be, that they now begin to do the hard work necessary. A clear vision and a detailed program for the country is the least these emerging parties owe the people of South Sudan if they want to be a popular force in South Sudan political scene. It is also their obligation and responsibility to articulate those ideas to the masses.

I am almost coming to a conclusion that many of our people and leaders in particular lack or are ignorant about planning and anticipating every action and reaction thereby appearing shocked every time a major issues arises. We lack contingency plans for about everything as a people in general. That is why issues of mild proportion quickly turn into crucial turning points or crisis. For example my family has a contingency plan for what if I loss my job or life for that matter (which I think is remote given that a Sudanese male life expectancy is 49 years!). What I am trying to say is that any vision and its goals and agenda must survive the referenda of 2011 if an organization is not planning on being a short term movement. In other words what will your organization do should South Sudanese (Abyei is implied) decide to secede? South Sudan political parties must also be prepared to answer what will they do if South Sudanese chooses unity?

I am convinced from the relatively little information available that I have gathered about all of the current political parties of South Sudan and even the SPLM that they all have the same global goal for South Sudan (perhaps the politician who told me that they were afraid of their ideas being copied is correct. However, no one person or organization own the monopoly of good ideas).

In general there are three notable ideological tents among our political organizations, one is composed of absolute South Sudan nationalist (separatists) who will accept nothing less than complete separation of South Sudan from the North. The second group consist of unionist (not as absolute as South Sudan nationalists) who want the entire Sudan under a secular government as described in the CPA. The third tent is made up of those who will be happy to be in either the South Sudan or the renewed secular Sudan. The SPLM being the prime example of the third group. I do intuitively believe however, that there are more major figures in the SPLM beside they ones that have gone public who want nothing to do with the Jellaba and their cronies in Khartoum. This can be derived from oxymoronic speeches and talks by major SPLM leaders who use statements like making unity attractive and making secession very attractive or you can vote for unity to become a second class citizen or vote for secession and become first class citizens. It is common sense that the SPLM has no choice but to appear impartial to either secession of South Sudan or unity of the nation for it is their responsibility as a custodian to the CPA on behave of the people of South Sudan (Abyei, Nuba Mountains is implied hereon) and because the SPLM also has equal unequal responsibility in making unity attractive in concert with the NCP. By the way there is only two years left out of the six year interim period to make unity attractive (it sure ain’t attractive to me…yet). Is it attractive?

Nevertheless, I still remain unsure of what the contingency plan for those South Sudan political parties who want unity of the entire Sudan should the people of South Sudan choose secession. will they try to unite the country by force as attempted by the colonialists and succeeding Jellaba regimes? I am also just unaware of what the contingency plan of those who want complete secession of South Sudan should the result of the self-determination turn against there position. Will they take the country back to war to attain South Sudan? What will change in the current affairs of political organizations that currently hold true to either decision of the people of South Sudan during the exercise of self-determination?

I am equally convinced that majority of the current South Sudan political parties can reconcile and smooth out their technical differences and forge stronger coalitions that will have to be reckon with in South Sudan political landscape. But such mergers will only happen if and only if leaderships of respective political parties put aside what they will loss on personal level and appreciate what they will gain for the country.

It may also be necessary to break up the old alliance of Union of Sudan African Parties (USAP) comprised of the Sudan African National Union (SUNA), the party of late hero William Deng Nhial which had a vision similarly to the New Sudan generally speaking and the Southern Front (SF), party of Abel Alier. Then perhaps rejuvenate them so that they can stand strong again.

It is sometimes wise not to re-invent a wheel. Good leadership does change or move direction of a movement. Just as it was the intention of the martyr, founder of the SPLM Dr. Garang Mabior when he joined the Anya Nya I movement. In an interview conducted By Arop Madut for the Heritage in 1987 Dr. Garang said “Before I joined the Anya Nya Movement, I went to the camp of General Joseph Lagu, the Commander of the Anya Nya to brief me about the objectives of his movement. From his briefings it was clear that his Movement was a separatist movement. I told him point blank that I was opposed to secession movements. I left in disappointment. I decided to go and continue with my graduate studies. After reconsidering my position after six months, I decided to join the Anya Nya Movement despite my disagreement with its objectives. These objectives, I thought, could not be changed unless one did participate in the movement itself. So as a matter of principle, I joined the Anya Nya with a view of making fundamental changes in its aims and objectives.”

South Sudan political organizations that have the best interest of the country at heart should work together to reconcile their differences and merge a long ideological lines which will make them viable and be able to balance power in the SSLA and elsewhere in the country. And minimize confusing our people on who is who.

The number of political affiliations does not necessarily result in good governance but it is necessary for a nation aspiring for democratic form of governance.

I must however, in principle praise the eight parties that established the Alliance of South Sudan Political Parties (ASSPP) namely the United Democratic Front (UDF), Sudan African National Union (SANU), United Sudan African Parties (USAP Two), United South Sudan Party (USSP), Southern Sudan Democratic Front (SSDF), South Sudan Democratic Forum (SSDF), Covenant Democratic Party (CDP) and Sudan National Labour Party (SNLP).

I would also like in principle to congratulate the Covenant Democratic Party (CDP) and the Sudan National Labour Party (SNLP) for their merger into one political organization.

The SPLM should also be congratulated on an extraordinary job of integrating most of the former Southern militia groups among its political organization and in the ranks of the SPLA, the South Sudan national army. Their humility in facilitating and accommodating these militia groups has certainly exponentially increased security stability in the country.

May I also add that my not touting every emerging new political organization in South Sudan is not a sign of disrespect but of convenience or lack of information plus I am afraid that I will surely miss many more if I attempt to name all. Mind you that for me not to be able to find quality documents or an articulate member of many of these new parties is just as troubling on its own merit given the resources at my disposal let alone the people who are struggling everyday for what their children will eat tonight.

Hence for a political party to be successful it must be a grassroots or bottom up organization. The time when it was necessary to have militia backed political organization in order to be recognized as a political force is coming to an end soon. If the people still don’t believe that the Sudan’s People Liberation Army (SPLA) is no longer the SPLM army then it is your job also to educate them. Share your vision, goals and detailed strategies on the ground with the elders, clan leaders, chiefs, youth, children, and everything alive in South Sudan at every level state, county, payam, buma and schools. I am sure the people will respond to your positive message.

How can a political organization earn the respect necessary from the people they want to represent if the organization is launched somewhere at a hotel in London, United Kingdom or launched from Washington D.C. in the United States, Ville d’Ottawa in Canada, Sydney in Australia, Cairo in Egypt, Nairobi in Kenya and else where outside South Sudan. Or how can an organization remain true to its people if its leaders stay in those hotels or in capital cities after being elected without visiting the electorates until election days. I am simply saying that beside meeting the constituency that the organization wishes to represent during the launch of their organizations they should also present a detailed contractual documents to the people so that people have something to hold them accountable to if and when they are supported. If these new political organizations continue on the path of flying high while belittling the so called “illiterate” or as some people have the audacity to call our people “backward,” an offensive colonialists term that should never come out from any southerner. If the emerging political parties in fact adopt such conduct then they will have certainly seal their fate and perhaps guarantee the SPLM status as the de facto party for generations to come.

Remember rhetoric without accountability is an empty promise. The SPLM on the other hand may also jeopardize the goodwill it is receiving from the people of South Sudan if it does not quickly answer many confirmed and unconfirmed claims, rumors and lies being told at every gathering and on the streets of every town regarding law enforcement especially in the areas of accountability and transparency policies. I intuitively think that majority of South Sudanese are confident and satisfied with the SPLM handling of the implementation of their honey and milk, the CPA. But I fear that SPLM is continuing to go down on a slippery slope on the social and economical front as far as the people at the bottom of the ladder are concerned. The slippery slope that the SPLM is on is in part cause by the organization. I sincerely believe that our people are expecting too much of the GOSS which is synonymous with the SPLM to many of our people. The SPLM has not effectively tam down the unrealistic expectation of a brand new government built on land mines alike the government of South Sudan. Almost everyone expects a guaranteed well paying government job, a house and maybe a car. I don’t know where they came up with such ideas but the SPLM has not been effectively either in telling the people that those are not realistic expectations.

Therefore, SPLM should not take silence as sign of approval. As far as I am concerned, its better to get feedback on my performance whether it is poor or otherwise than to burry my head in the sand and assume that the masses approve of my performance because they are not saying anything negative about me. The SPLM should always recall that for every opportunity there is an obligation. The SPLM is obligated to the people of South Sudan to say what they mean and mean what the say. The people want the SPLM on the home front to enforce the promise articulated by the chairman, president Salva Kiir that “we have committed ourselves to zero-tolerance to corruption and transparency in the use of public funds, we are keen to audit all accounts of our government at all levels and we will make public such audit report.” The formation and enhancement of the Southern Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission was a good start. And the passage of the anti-corruption law was another great achievement. It also time for the people to support the government in enforcing these laws. A good support could be as simple as not crying foul when someone with the same name as you is indicted. The masses must also be careful in making sure that we do not tarnish characters of good people and our leaders because they are more good people in our government then there are bad (this is a separate discussion so I will move on). We also need to support they government by not allowing indicted members of our families use us to intimidate law officials while just doing there job. Remember the true will set the indicted free if they are innocent.

I was encouraged by the gesture of late SPLM Chairman for convening the first SPLM dialog with South Sudan political parties in 2005 that produce the South Sudan Covenant agreement. I continue to be pleased by the members of the (ASSPP) continued push for dialog among South Sudan political organizations which the SPLM have been responding to positively. I am just as delighted by last year’s communiqué dialogue between the SPLM and southern political parties under the leadership of the SPLM Chairman, Salva Kiir Mayardit in which the parties discussed major issues concerning South Sudanese under the theme of Building Consensus for Peace, Stability and Development.

I must make it clear again that I am not discouraging South Sudanese to form new political organizations as it is their constitutional right. As far as I am concerned so long as their allegiance is to the people of South Sudan and South Sudan territorial integrity. I am just advocating for fewer quality political organizations rather than hundreds of parties without any significance. The elections will be coming soon and I have no idea of who will be the candidates for president let alone for my state. My vote and the vote of South Sudanese as I expect will not be based on “thonk-dweil.” So please help us help you help us build the nation. No party appears to be very concerned about the upcoming election in February, 2010 but they all should take it seriously as it will be a good test of the political environment in our nation to be. I personally understand the problem of logistics and resources to support political campaign but at least get the few people you talk to excited about your organization so that they can help you. We used word of mouth since time in memorial so why not continue using it.

Finally, the SPLM should not feel like the younger brother who fetches food through hard work while his older brother waits to eat it. South Sudan emerging political parties also should not feel like they have to submit to their younger brother because he is the one who sustains him (not literally of course).

I think South Sudan will be the model African state that will be the envy of our continent and world at large for her political and economical success. We all should contribute to its development positively. Our political stability and economic prosperity will be realized though the hard work of you, I and the promising new generation of patriotic and innovative South Sudan children currently watching. It’s a goal that should be top priority for all political parties of South Sudan. Don’t promise our people heaven on earth when they have no shelter, school buses when there are no schools, taps in their houses when there is no clean water, universities while there are no libraries. Be realistic.

In the words of John D. Rockefeller “I believe in the supreme worth of the individual and in his right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.

I believe that the law was made for man and not man for the law; that government is the servant of the people and not their master.

I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes every man an opportunity to make a living.

I believe that thrift is essential to well ordered living and that economy is a prime requisite of a sound financial structure, whether in government, business or personal affairs.

I believe that truth and justice are fundamental to an enduring social order.

I believe in the sacredness of a promise, that a man’s word should be as good as his bond; that character — not wealth or power or position — is of supreme worth.

I believe that the rendering of useful service is the common duty of mankind and that only in the purifying fire of sacrifice is the dross of selfishness consumed and the greatness of the human soul set free.

I believe in an all-wise and all-loving God, named by whatever name, and that the individual’s highest fulfillment, greatest happiness, and widest usefulness are to be found in living in harmony with His will.

I believe that love is the greatest thing in the world; that it alone can overcome hate; that right can and will triumph over might.”

May our union of the New Sudan embodied in the South Sudan emerge stronger at the end of this tunnel.

Dau Reng is a US based Sudanese, He can be reached through; [email protected]