Should Dr. Lam be allowed to campaign in South Sudan?

By Zechariah Manyok Biar

January 16, 2010 — On January 15, 2010, the Political Bureau of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) announced the nomination of the incumbent President of South Sudan and Chairman of SPLM General Salva Kiir Mayardit as its candidate for South Sudan presidency in the upcoming elections. On the same day, the Alliance of Southern Sudan Political Parties announced that it has endorsed Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC) as its candidate to run against Gen. Kiir for the presidency of South Sudan.

In the SPLM-DC nomination statement, Gurtong reports the Secretary of SPLM-DC Charles Kisanga as saying that “there have been big complains and protests from the members of the Alliance of Southern Sudan political parties operating in the Southern Sudan, that they had not been able to file candidates for many constituencies due to intimidation, bullying and arrests by SPLM security forces.” What Mr. Kisanga means by “SPLM security forces” is not clear.

However, this statement raises the question of whether Dr. Lam Akol will be free to campaign in South Sudan against Gen. Kiir or not. South Sudan Minister of Cabinet Affairs Dr. Luka Manoja instructed the Governors of ten states in South Sudan last year to allow all political parties, except SPLM-DC, in the South to conduct their activities freely. SPLM allegedly accused SPLM-DC of being the armed resistance movement that does not qualify to be a political party.

SPLM may have evidence or two that qualify SPLM-DC to be the armed resistance movement. But that may not be a good foreign policy argument in a young democracy like that of South Sudan. The problem with a young democracy is that it has no enough evidence to show that the ban of a particular political party is nothing more than the fear of tough political competition.

Every effective democracy is the one in which at least two political parties of equal strengths do compete in elections. SPLM would have the unquestioned creditability after April, 2010 elections if it allows all political parties, including SPLM-DC, to contest elections freely. Critics of SPLM always capitalize on the notion that SPLM is not popular in South Sudan, a claim that may not be true after the upcoming elections. But if SPLM-DC is not allowed to contest freely, then some losers from the opposition parties will use the ban as their point of foreign policy argument to soil the name of SPLM.

The lack of leveled political ground in South Sudan might have led some critics of SPLM to resort to wishful-thinking writings that we read these days. These critics hope that some powers somewhere may banish SPLM’s proposed candidates from political scene. Wishful-thinking politics, to me, can contribute nothing to the change that these writers are wishing for. May be what can prove them right or wrong in their wishful-thinking would be to give them a leveled political ground to let them practically and philosophically show the people of South Sudan what ideas they have for South Sudan. We the people of South Sudan also want to know during these elections if SPLM-DC is any different from the National Congress Party (NCP).

By the end of April when South Sudanese tell the world which party they admire, opposition parties will prove their claims with evidence or will probably change from trying to let the world believe that SPLM is not popular in South Sudan. We will see if SPLM is really hated by the people. Politics from then on will be based on issues that are real than propaganda far removed from reality.

Any Member of Parliament will then work hard on issues that will be appreciated by his or her constituency. This is the time that those who criticize SPLM for incompetence will show Southerners whether they really mean what they say or not.

All in all, my personal view is that it would be a wise thing for SPLM to allow Dr. Lam Akol and his party to freely campaign all over South Sudan to give South Sudanese a chance to tell the world which party they admire. Tough political competition will also result in ideas that will contribute to good governance and development in South Sudan, instead of wishful thinking that has nothing to contribute at all. Politicians should not wish other politicians bad luck in order for them to pick up the abandoned powers. All politicians must prove to people why they think they are better politicians. But this proof can happen in a leveled political ground.

Zechariah Manyok Biar is a graduate student at Abilene Christian University, Texas, USA. He just graduated with a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry and he is still pursuing a Master of Science in Social Work, specializing in Administration and Planning. For comments, contact him at email: [email protected]