South Sudan government criticizes Electoral Board’s letter to Salva Kiir
January 18, 2010 (JUBA) – A senior aide to the President of the semi-autonomous Southern Sudan government has strongly criticized the letter sent to President Salva Kiir by the Sudan’s National Elections Commission (NEC) warning him to relinquish his military ranks and positions as one of requirements for accepting his presidential candidacy.
Dr. Luka Biong Deng, minister of Presidential Affairs, described the letter as “premature” because the papers detailing the qualifications of Salva Kiir for the Southern Sudan presidency nomination have not yet been submitted to the Commission.
The Political Bureau of the ruling party in the South, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) had on Friday nominated the incumbent chairman of the party, Salva Kiir, without any challenger, to contest for the presidential position in Southern Sudan.
Earlier, Dr. Biong ruled out any possibility of General Kiir stepping down from the army even if he is nominated as SPLM candidate for presidency.
Speaking to Miraya FM on Sunday, Biong however said that “Salva Kiiir [already] retired from the military as First Lieutenant [General] in the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in 2005.”
He did not however explain why the retired 1st Lt. General currently continued to put on military uniform with the same rank and uses the title after 2005 retirement.
A reliable military source which asked not to be named corrected minister Biong and further explained that Kiir was actually retired from military by late Dr. John Garang in 2005 at the rank of Lt. General (not 1st Lt. General), and silently reinstated himself in the army in 2007 during which he also promoted himself as 1st Lt. General.
Kiir currently heads the recently formed military Command Council, composed of more than 40 senior SPLA officers.
He is also the Commander-in-Chief of the army by the virtue of being the President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS).
The NEC has explained that the Electoral Law does not permit military personnel to run for constitutional posts in the upcoming elections and clarified that the issue is not related to Salva Kiir only.
SPLM also nominated its Deputy Secretary General for Northern Sector, Yasir Saeed Arman, as the party’s flag bearer to contest against President Omer Hassen Al-Bashir for the position of national president.
The party is yet to submit to NEC the name of Arman with the accompanying papers supporting detailing the needed requirements.
The Deputy Chairman of NEC, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, has also revealed that twelve people have applied for nominee application forms for the post of President of the Republic, adding that the Commission has only approved Bashir’s request because his papers are complete.
The Commission has set January 22, as the deadline for submission of all applications bearing the names and papers for each and every selected candidate.
(ST)
Ajongtar
South Sudan government criticizes Electoral Board’s letter to Salva Kiir
Dr Kiir should not step down from his Military post coz he is a retired General by Late Garang.
There fore as we knew very well that after the assassination of late Garang Kiir automatically becomes the 1st Lt General on behalf of late Garang.
If there is some body who wants to take the presidency must come by fire. Action matters…..
Behind an able man there are always other able men.
Ajongtar
South Sudan government criticizes Electoral Board’s letter to Salva Kiir
Over my dead body Dr Kiir should not step down from his Military post coz he is a retired General by Late Garang.
There fore as we knew very well that after the assassination of late Garang Kiir automatically becomes the 1st Lt General on behalf of late Garang.
If there is some body who wants to take the presidency must come by fire. Action matters…..
Behind an able man there are always other able men.
Gatwech
South Sudan government criticizes Electoral Board’s letter to Salva Kiir
Dear readers,
Luka Biong is so naive about the whole thing. Where is the official spokesman of GOSS? And where is the minister for Legal Affairs? Save this man from contradicting himself!
Kiir is currently in uniform and should resign from military, period!
junub
South Sudan government criticizes Electoral Board’s letter to Salva Kiir
There is nothing can let Kiir to retains the post he was lifted already in 2005 by his C and C. The post whose he Kiir doesn’t know what to do in it.
Bit of truth, in 2004 at the Rumbek convention, he Kiir was assigned by let leader and founder of the SPLM/A, Dr. John Garang, to organize and reform the SPLA army into conventional army. Something that ruefully turned out to show the Southerners about Kiir inabiltiy to do any thing right.
For those of you who are absence mindedly opted for Kiir’s stay still in the army, you wrong and selfish. Kiir is tribalist and worse even is sub-Dinka tribalist something needed him Kiir to get his hell away from the army as far as the National Elections Commission is concerned about.
Our army need no tribalist nor a primitive as he Kiir is. Be it then but the slob president of GoSS needs to be hand lifted from our beloved army.
Please don’t tell me he is a worrior because you might know about is shameful military records: The fighting of SPLA army at themselves in Rumbek in 1986, drawning of hundreds in Gillo aftermath of Mangisto fall in 1991 and capturing of tone of gold and negligence evacuation of sick people in hospital and town prior to NIF’s recapturing.
Deng Gai
South Sudan government criticizes Electoral Board’s letter to Salva Kiir
Dear southerners,The issue of H.E Kiir to step down from the military by the NEC should be a concern of all the citizen and particularly to the advisors and the SPLM political bureau to look critically into this before the expected deadline inorder to come out with the concrete decision that will not attract any International criticism,why I say so is because Last time Albeshir accused the SPLM of promoting democracy in the North and they(THE SPLM) are not practicing democracy in the South,I don’t want to pinpoint this as a true statement.To me as a person, I have seen no effect after Kiir resigning since he is there because of his popular support from civil population not the military might then his future leadership will be safeguarded.
James Okuk Solomon
South Sudan government criticizes Electoral Board’s letter to Salva Kiir
So 1st. Lt. Gen. Kiir Was Wearing SPLA Uniform Illegally!!! Again the Abyei Minister, H.E. Luka Biong, who thinks he is the doctor of everything around GoSS’s incumbent President Salva Kiir, has belittled himself and humiliated his boss in the face of public again. By telling us that Kiir was already a retired SPLA general since 2005 before the untimely death of Dr. John Garang de Mabior, the logic flashes back and says and “So 1st. Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit Was Wearing SPLA Uniform Illegally!!! Hummmmmmmm!!!!
What a criminal act against the SPLA’s White Paper if this is true. If I were Kiir I will fire Dr. Luka Biong immediately for portraying me as an illegal SPLA general in green military uniform. It is better that Kiir sends the Abyei Minister back to the World Bank (South Sudan Sector) or re-appoint him as the head of Southern Sudan Census and Statistics Commission where he can practice his proper professionalism. The Abyei Minister has failed the test of Constitutional Law and Political Democratic Procedures and Rules of Game because he went to sit for a wrong exam. Shame on him!!!
Dinka Boy
South Sudan government criticizes Electoral Board’s letter to Salva Kiir
I think it is agreat idea that a senior South Sudan presidency aid criticise that undevelop letter.