SPLM warns against contesting as independent candidates
January 27, 2010 (JUBA) – The ruling party in the semi-autonomous region of Southern Sudan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) has warned it will not tolerate its party members who want to contest as independent candidates for the upcoming April elections.
Three senior officials of the party have officially declared their independent candidacy for governorship. These include Southern Sudan President’s advisor on Diplomatic Affairs, Alfred Lado Gore for Central Equatoria state, the state minister of Energy and Mining in the Government of National Unity, Angelina Jany Teny for Unity state and the incumbent governor of Eastern Equatoria state, Aloysius Emor Ojetuk.
Jonglei state was also reported to have been processing for an independent candidacy for governorship while many others across the region considered contesting for parliamentary seats as independent candidates.
The party’s youth chairman directly appealed to all those considering to register as independent candidates while still members of the party to reverse their decisions. “We are a party characterized with a high degree of discipline. I don’t think the SPLM will entertain at any time the idea of independent candidates,” he warned.
There are growing fears in the SPLM leadership that many of the candidates nominated by the Political Bureau in Juba may lose elections to independent party candidates who were initially nominated by the people and the Electoral Colleges in the states, but dropped by the Bureau.
The Political Bureau nominated those it calls loyal and long serving members for all the public positions the party wants to contest, but the process has been widely criticized as ignoring the choices of the people in the constituencies concerned.
Several complaints from both the Electoral Colleges and populations in the constituencies from the states have revealed that the nominees selected at the grassroots and recommended at the Electoral Colleges were replaced with wrong candidates by the Political Bureau in Juba.
One of the complaints directed to the Political Bureau came from Gumruk constituency of Pibor County in Jonglei state, in a letter stating that their official nominee was replaced with the constituency’s incumbent MP in Juba whom they rejected because of his corruption.
“As committed members of the party, the constituency was dissatisfied with manner Mr. Lokurnya handled Constituency Development Fund (CDF) during his tenant [tenure] as area Member of Parliament (MP) hence, the community opted for his replacement because he has lost confidence, respect and honesty from the people. The named gentleman lost in the State Electoral College and how he made it to the Political Bureau as the candidate of the Constituency remains an unanswered question,” the letter reads.
The letter went on to advise that “ We therefore, appeal to highest office of the party to exert its wise scrutiny over this matter before time could go out of hand because it is in our wish that SPLM wins the Constituency seat in this coming election.”
Another example of such several complaints was a letter from Greater Bor County directed to the SPLM Secretary General Pa’gan Amum. “We expect the [SPLM] political bureau to respect and honor a decision made by voters in democratic process,” read the letter, titled ‘Legitimate Complaint against SPLM Decision to Replace the Nominee of the People.’
The party had set up 25-member Electoral Colleges in every state to receive applications, screen and recommend to the Political Bureau the nominees who have scored highest grades.
Some party officials describe the Political Bureau’s decisions as “unpopular”, saying they opt now to run as independent candidates in order to maintain the SPLM popularity among the members who are discontented by the decision.
Growing discontented voices express their criticism toward the Political Bureau members for resisting change and keeping their old and unwanted colleagues in power by ignoring the choices of the people.
Most of the people who have commented on Miraya FM radio of Juba through their phone calls from across Southern Sudan states have equally warned that the decision by the Political Bureau that went against the people’s chosen candidates would either force them to abstain from voting at all or vote for other parties’ contestants.
For the position of the president of Southern Sudan, the party nominated its incumbent chairman, Salva Kiir Mayardit, without any challenger. Kiir submitted his candidacy application on Monday to the Elections Commission’s branch office in Juba.
The chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – Democratic Change (SPLM-DC), Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin was nominated for the position of the presidency by the party and on Monday also submitted his application form to the office of the Southern Sudan High Elections Committee in Juba.
The dominant National Congress Party (NCP) is yet to declare its candidate for the presidency in Southern Sudan, but speculations suggest that the party’s once long-time deputy chairman for Southern Sector, Dr. Riek Gai Kok, would soon be announced as the candidate by Wednesday’s deadline.
(ST)
Gatwech
SPLM warns against contesting as independent candidates
This party keeps on shooting itself in the foot. The independent candidates made the decisions in good faith to give the majority of the party members who were not happy with the handpicking selection by political bureau another choice so that they vote for the party in the elections. Now with this idiotic decision, the party majority members may opt to vote for other good personalities from other political parties in order not to allow these old corrupt hyenas to continue looting their constituencies.
Dinka Boy
SPLM warns against contesting as independent candidates
Ohoo my God!
Seriously, the independent candidacy is increasing because those who declear their independency are not loyal candidates instead they are hunting for money. That is their all intention dear brothers and sisters.
Did i see DR Lam Akol and pro-Arab Riek Gai contesting for South Sudan presidency? in fact, if were not careful, then South Sudan will be like Somalia because of the power greedy without loyalty.
Mark my word; those two Arab traitors will and can rule the South when we all die in this country and i think that will make South Sudan like Somalia.
Dr Lam Akol, Dr Riek Gai are worse traitor i ever had.
K Bambo
SPLM warns against contesting as independent candidates
Ha-ha-ha, intimidation by student member of SPLM’s Political Bureau, perhaps he should go back to college to learn what democracy is. Mr Akol Paul, you talk a lot about one thing-democracy and do the opposite. Is it a fear of loosing election because of the way PB does its business? Let us wait and see if you can intimidate and stop any one from going independent.
Ken.
M.Cool.J
SPLM warns against contesting as independent candidates
Dear readers,
SPLM SPLM MUST SEND ITS LEADERS BACK TO SCHOOL SO THAT THEY SHOULD UNDERSTAND WELL THE MEANINGS OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY.THEY ALSO NEED TO CONFIRM THE MEANING OF DEMOCRACY FROM RIAK MACHAR.
A PARTY THAT DOES NOT RESPECT THE LAWS IS NO PARTY IN THIS DEMOCRATIC WORLD.
VOETRS CAN YOU VOTE OUT THIS PARTY SO THAT WE GO TO ANY OTHER PARTY THAT RESPECT OUR IDEAS PROVIDED THAT THAT PARTY IS SEPARATION!
Piw Thieng
SPLM warns against contesting as independent candidates
Hi Brother Akol Akol,
Your warning sound good and reasonable, however fall short of clarity and does not make sense as long as our party does not exercise democracy we fought for years, lost millions of our heros and heroens lives. We took arm becuase of suppression and marginalized. As party members, we need to respect rights of voters or unless we desplay to be dictators as its seems.
Our party political bureau miss the point simply because some individuals person work for its downfall and not for its development and progress including remembering why we fought for all these years.
I am not convinced of our party discision by going against the popular demand which at the end will backfire as many of these seats will ends up being taken by other parties. The idea of independent is event safe becuase if these candidates win, they will bring back seats to our party rather than other parties taking them.
best,
LOVER OF ORGANISMS
SPLM warns against contesting as independent candidates
NONSENSE
The SPLM leadership should really learn to play a professional conduct in their acts. Some where in your administration, you the SPLM claimed to the people’s party that work for the merginalized people. Unfailed party respects the people it rules than it does to its leadership; unfortunately, the so called SPLM dictates upon the people, useless politics!!!!!.
An independent candidacy comes as a request of the people of south sudan not the dictatorship your political Bureau imposed against the interest of southerners because you just like a person who has been contributing to your corruption in the last lost five years of failure with less percentage of development compared to the budget(s).
Please leave South for those who really respect the will of southerners not the Failed Political Bureau, after all, You are working for the unity of Sudan in a closed pockets and talk about other people’s vision for the independance of South.
Independant candidates like Alfred Ladu to mention is the candidate of the people, to be elected by the people and to work for the people not those of the Political Bureau, elected by P. Bureau and work for the P.Bureau but against the people. As a member of that state, Ladu deserves more votes and I will vote for Ladu whether his names exist or cause invalid vote in his absence.