Need to reform UDSF implied leadership change – Gabriel Chang

April 19, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — Gabriel Changson Chang, South Sudan government minister of information and leader of Juba based faction of the United Democratic Salvation Front (UDSF) said on Sunday the change of the former leadership was justified by the need to reform in the party.

Minister Chang was speaking in a meeting held in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, two weeks after his election as chairman of the UDSF by a dissident faction in Juba on April 6.

Joseph Malual, the chairman of the Khartoum based UDSF accused the SPLM of supporting the splinter faction. He further accused the former rebels of dismantling southern Sudanese political forces in order to dominate the South.

Minister Chang said dismissal of Malual from the leadership came within the framework of the reform within the party. He underscored that the SDSF’s constitution provides to hold a general convention every five years but the last convention of the party had been held in 2001.

He added that the participants at the 2001 conference were university students and not representatives elected in every state as it is stipulated in the article 24 of party’s constitution. He asserted that the 2001 was not legal.

Gabriel also accused Malual of taking decisions without consulting the UDSF institutions; however he added that change in the leadership of the party does not mean sacking him from the party.

He also underlined that his party would work to boost relationship with the SPLM and urged the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in January 2005 between the government of Sudan and the SPLM.

He added that the party believes that a peaceful solution to the conflict in Darfur is of utmost necessity to achieve peace and security in Sudan. Further he called to swiftly mend laws that are not compatible with the interim constitution and the CPA.

UDSF party was founded after the 1997 Khartoum Peace Agreement by the current Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar Teny.

It became the first legally established political party by former Southern Sudanese rebels since 1983 with its main objective of pursuing the right to self-determination for the people of Southern Sudan in addition to democratization of governance system among others.

(ST)