USSP set to contest WES’s four legislative seats

By Richard Ruati

January 30, 2010 (YAMBIO) — The United South Sudan Party’s members aim to contest WES’s legislative seat in the April election as part of public relation drive to win a seat in Western Equatoria this year.

The pro-independent south Sudan party will use the April election campaign to gain publicity for the upcoming referendum election in 2011, where they believe they can win a national list seat.

Western Equatoria constituencies will be some of the key battlegrounds for USSP.

Reliable sources from the party admit they will win in April, with the hope to boost their support and will be fielding candidates against SPLM and NCP contenders.

Very little is known about USSP (United South Sudan Party) in the political scene of the Sudan but recently the Party’s leader Mr. Clement Mbugoniwia together with his Deputy Mr. Brian Badi Demus arrived Yambio to submit the names of their candidates for the April elections. The party was established immediately after the CPA with the objective of an independent South Sudan. Speaking to a group of youth in Yambio, Mr. Badi said; we have come here to submit the names of our nominees to NEC.

“We want to tell the people of South Sudan that there need to be a new beginning for the South in general and WES in particular that is why we are going to contest to go to the SSLA and SLA for a genuine change”, Mr. Badi stated.

Asked why USSP uses the word South Sudan not southern Sudan, he stated that by using the word ‘southern’ Sudan, we still want to be part of the big Sudan which is not what USSP stands for. “We have nothing to do with the rest of the Sudan”, he stated. “All what we need is a total independent state in the South” said Mr. Demus.

Mr. Brian was also asked if there is any link between them and any other parties like SPLM or NCP. He stated that USSP has no link with any party in the country and continued by saying that USSP acknowledges the struggle of the people of south Sudan led by the SPLM and SPLA that gave birth to the CPA.

In this respect, every citizen in south Sudan contributed to the struggle in their own ways including those in the Diaspora without the international community would not have known much about the war and suffering of the people of south Sudan stated Mr. Badi Demus

Regarding the NCP, Mr. Brian said; USSP will never go to Khartoum and take money from parties like NCP to finance its political activities because he believes that by taking money from a group in northern Sudan and claiming that USSP stands for an independent South Sudan will be a total contradiction to the party’s principals.

He warned that any politician who takes money from the north thinking that they can come to the south and claim that he/she can use that money and still claim for independence of south Sudan is not only deceiving the people of south Sudan but committing political suicide because the person who gives the money is not naïve to leave you be free to do what you want to do.

“We want to remain as poor as we are and work for an independent South Sudan which has no room for tribalism, corruption and nepotism because south Sudan belongs to all south Sudanese people he stated.”

Mr. Brian state that his Party has nominated 4 candidates for WES; the Party leader Mr. Clement Mbugoniwia to run in greater Tambura for SSLA, Mr. Alison Martin Manguriko to contest in Yambio for SLA and Mr. Alison Barnaba in Maridi for SLA and himself Brian Badi Demus for SSLA in greater Mundri.

(ST)