SPLM members may face torture in W. Equatoria, Caretaker Governor
February 25, 2010 (YAMBIO) – In yet another detrimental move to paralyze the strengths of Independents candidates in Western Equatoria, the SPLM moderate members who privately support the Candidacy of Col Joseph Bakosoro face torture if found campaigning for the WES gubernatorial candidate, the state’s Caretaker has warned during a workshop organized to sensitize SPLM members prior to elections campaigns.
“Take it from me, any SPLM member contesting seen supporting the Independent Candidate shall be dealt with and smashed, this is the message I have carried from Juba from the SPLM chairman Gen Salvatore Kiir Mayardit,” Jemma Nunu Kumba, WES Caretaker Governor told SPLM members during the ongoing 2-day workshop.
Majority of moderate SPLM members contesting for the State and GOSS assemblies are believed to be backing Col Joseph Bakosoro, who say he was denied the SPLM flag bearer wrongly.
Reports say the Caretaker’s apparent warning will no doubt compromise her message to her supporters – many of whom are poor.
SPLM party loyalists in both state legislative and executive wings of WES government remain divided over who should be the next Governor.
In related development family of the intimidated Independent Candidate in Ezo two ago said that, “The Caretaker of WES has summoned the Ten County Commissioners to her office talking to them on how they should go about to convince the local population to vote for her and her party”.
She (Kumba) also called off for the campaigners to stop campaigning for two days in the WES to allow her and her commissioners to come up with a solution to popularize her and her party, at the same time to intimidate the Independents and other political parties in the WES.
She is expecting each of the ten count Commissioners to at least get seventy five percent of the voters to vote for her in order to retain their positions, if any of them fails to mobilize his or her people and she wins the up coming election, that will be the end of those who failed to campaign for her and her party.
She is also claiming to set a test for the candidates in their county head quarters where they are going to sit for two days test and then go to their respective Constituencies and kick on to their campaign.
The remain worried of what kind of test is Nunu setting for the SPLM candidates to pass if it is not that, she is giving orders to her commissioners to intimidate people during the campaign.
The two NEC officials, Natale for (Bagidi Village) and Benedict for (Andari Payam) are still in their hideouts though, they have requested for their security from their county Commissioner who is also in Yambio attending to the Caretaker’s call for mobilizing the people of WES to vote for her, her husband (Dr Festo Kumbaniduwai) and her party, but the people of Ezo vowed with closed hears to him.
Continues role of Jemma Nunu Kumba as Caretaker Governor puts the positions of the two government arms in jeopardy.
Similar threats have been issued against key supporters of WES gubernatorial Independent candidate supporters.
The deteriorating threats come after Yambio residents fail to turn up to welcome the Caretaker governor who was arriving from Juba with visiting presidential campaign team despite tremendous announcement by the State-owned FM radio.
Influential youth leaders in Yambio face arrest and imprisonment for their alleged role in preventing the masses to welcome the Caretaker Governor.
Sudan Tribune quoted reliable source from Yambio as saying State secret services agents have been ordered to execute or arrest until elections are over Mr. Tahakpafi and James Maku who are both supporters of Col Joseph Bakosoro. Mr. Tahakpafi, himself a Catholic Church Youth leader is accused by the security agents of WES Caretaker Governor for having direct hand in the allegations.
Anonymous source at State Secretariat told Sudan Tribune that, “Senior Advisor to WES’s Caretaker Governor has advised the execution and beheading of key supporters of Col Bakosoro,” citing it as the only plan to demoralize his supporters.
Col Joseph Bakosoro has appealed to his supporters to run a non-violent and cordial campaign, and similar calls have been echoed by the various Religious Leaders in Western Equatoria, the church leaders in WES, since Col Bakosoro declared his candidature have been backing his bid to be Western Equatoria first democratically elected Governor.
Campaign agents for Col Joseph Bakosoro say such rhetoric threats from the Caretaker Governor will not deter their strengths to win the April polls.
Opinions leaders in Western Equatoria say the energetic and well organized campaign of Col Bakosoro is already pulling crowds at every appearance of the man his supporters call “the messiah or the Obama of Western Equatoria State.
CHARACTER ASSASSINATION
To defuse the enthusiastic supporters of WES Independent Candidate, supporters of SPLM Candidate, herself the current caretaker governor have resorted to labeling Col Bakosoro as an NCP and SPLM DC candidate – he denies having any ties with the two institutions.
Strategists for the WES Independent Candidate say these are simmering connotations always propagated by the enemies of democracy to stay in power.
The campaign team of Col Joseph Bakosoro deplores the Caretaker’s negative campaign being personalized in the name of its flag bearer (Col Bakosoro) – the statement issued said that, “lack of nothing to offer to WES people should not warrant the caretaker to spearhead public insults against her opponent, [we] call upon the incumbent to campaign on realities not negative or personal attacks,” the statement obtained by Sudan Tribune reads.
WES caretaker governor has been heard three times, talking only bad against Bakosoro instead of telling the public how she intends to improve on her gross failures.
POVERTY
Poverty remains rife in the State and many Western Equatorians are losing patience with the Caretaker governor.
Violent protests have raged in last month by Students who demanded their rights with many complaining that the government has failed to provide basic services such as clean water, electricity and 100% salaries to teachers.
Many poor IPD’s are starting to lose patience with their government too, after running from LRA rebels living their farms only to find no support from their government.
State officials admit that nothing tangible has been done since then but stress that a “turn-around plan” will be used in the coming new government likely to be formed by Col Joseph Baksoro to improve conditions.
But for many peasants, time is running out.
STATE FUNDS
Massive distribution of state funds is already alarming, reliable sources from the State Ministry of Finance told Sudan Tribune that, “huge amount of state money has been ordered by the State Minister of Finance, who is also the Campaigner Manager of Jemma in Maridi, her campaign team in Tambura was seen with five thousand Sudanese pounds, as her campaigners discussed how to allocate the money to village chiefs who continue to back the Independent gubernatorial Candidate in WES.
junub
SPLM members may face torture in W. Equatoria, Caretaker Governor
This article is not a news but an empty complain from independent loosers. Sudantribune deserves to say away from siding this opportuniests.
Dinka Dominated SPLA
SPLM members may face torture in W. Equatoria, Caretaker Governor
To gatwech tot yual
lat talk about what Dr reik machar teny achievement in south sudan or in the movement of the SPLA/M.
ONE ACHIEVEMENT joining movement lat in 1986. good for him.
TWO ACHIEVEMENT. so desperate to get a top job. good for him
three achievement. getting married to UK persitute on the street good for him.
four achievement.defect from SPLA/M IN1988 LESS THAN 7YEARS AFTER HE JIONED THE MOVEMENT.
FIVE ACHIEVEMENT. FORM HIS GANG MAFAI GROUP IN NASSIR.
surrender himselfe to the enemy of south.
killing of SPLA OFFICER IN NUER AREA INCULDING ONE FROM NUER MR THINY PINY PANTHRIA
KILLING OF DINKA BOR AND RAP ABDUCTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDRENT GOOD FOR HIM
HAVING link with our enemy which is khartoum
defect from khartoum and surrender himselfe to SPLA/M.
THIS are his achivement so far. and if you whan to vote for him? he will still achive more death and that can make him to be a nuer leader. surrender surrender surrender is his vision what a mess
Matot de Akech Matot
SPLM members may face torture in W. Equatoria, Caretaker Governor
Wow that is good news to be reading out to those who need independents candidates and let them stay away from the governership campagning with their supporters . Those independents candidates are confusing us and if they need to defected away from SPLM party let them go to the Arab as i know so far from them but that land shall recall your names back . Indeed we should give more thanks to our party SPLM for their struggling hardship in 22 years , SPLM should gain that thanks from each and everyone who witness this long running struggle of new sudan . Guys just relax and come together and achieve our goals of new vision in the whole south sudan , war is not over don’t betraying each other .Dr John Garang said i want to assure you all that there will be enough rooms for everybody , including those who hwve not been associated with the SPLM/SPLA . Even those who for one reason or another were opposed or against the SPLM , there will be more rooms for everybody . I hope so you can still get a rooms you those looking independents candidates in governership take your time and stand firmly with SPLM party .
Thyinka
SPLM members may face torture in W. Equatoria, Caretaker Governor
People should vote with their conscience not because of fear. If people feel that SPLM deserve to be in power then they will vote in SPLM candidates otherwise they can vote in son and daughters of their choices whom they believe can serve them better. Otherwise, SPLM has no right to impose itself on the people as supposedly fighting for the freedom of Southerners when they can’t allow people to vote for candidates of their own choices other than the hand-picked cronies of some obscure Political Bureau.
SPLM has always been voluntarily followed by the masses because of its stand against oppression from the North but people won’t tolerate it if it turns into the oppressor through unseemly conducts of its governatorial candidates e. g Northern Bhar el Ghazal and now Western Equatoria.
People can only hope for better services if people’s representatives in government are accountable to people not to political parties; that is why elections are mean to elect candidate whom people give responsibility for taking care of their wellbeing and who know that if they don’t perform they will be let go at the next election. That is the essence and beauty of democracy. Politicians may not like it but that is how democracy works and people must resist anybody who want to usurp this God-given right of the people to choose leaders of their choice. SPLM must wake up from it deep sleep and align its vision and program with that of the people instead of blindly imposing itself on the people or stop those few officials who wants to tarnish it image as the champion of freedom. Any official who acts contrary to how SPLM wants to be seen must be disciplined.
If SPLM is afraid of other candidates being elected other than it owns candidates because those others cannot be trusted to fight for the interest of Southern Sudan, then there is no need for elections. SPLM might as well remain in power until such time they feel that the interest of Southern Sudan is not threatened anymore. People must be careful not to allow dictatorial tendencies otherwise Southern Sudan might turn into Eritrea or Zimbabwe where there is no political freedoms and anybody who oppose the system is seen as a stooge of the West (in this case it might be NCP or what have you). Thus, the system rot from the inside without the means to correct some of the wrong perpetuated by it.
ANC (African Nation congress) has been ruling South Africa since the end of Apartheid and it has been doing that not through intimidation but through continued articulation of South Africans’ aspiration for peace, unity and development. Some liberation movement truly liberate their people but others end up oppressing them. SPLM must choose which one they want to be. They can’t afford to be oppress at this stage or any other in the development of Southern Sudan. Otherwise such articles don’t portray SPLM in good light, a political party everybody feels is the only one that carries the hope of the marginalized and change for democracy in Sudan.
Dr.Agany
SPLM members may face torture in W. Equatoria, Caretaker Governor
Hahahahaha no! no! no! Nunu!,
U are acting like a woman. U should not have said that u have been sent by ur boss with full threat message to those who might be seen supporting Bakosoro. U are a leader in ur own capacity and if u have go a backing which may assure u of no indictment if it happen to torture anyone in WES. It is now clear that u are panicking and u won’t make it to win election unless there will be no elections or ur magic with ur boss Slavatore succeed though we will be ready to say no!
Even 2 days simple wages were not given to poor WES equatorians after CPA celebration untill the post a blood protest. Where is the leadership u are promising? U have nothing to give to WES if not enriching urself at their expenses. I hope men in WES should not go hiding from the woman like those fearful two who are in hideout now. Come out and say NO!
Bakosoro should be courageous!! He should not be threatened by the so-called SPLM message. They are always like that, it is the magic they use to please those who are not in south sudan. Some SPLM officials use to sell their guns to civilians for some cows and get married but when such guns are used by civilians, they go to Juba and make noise that the NCP has brought in a lot of guns to divide south sudanese. A lie that believe by those who are outside of south sudan. Shame on them!!!!!!!!!!!
Gatwech
SPLM members may face torture in W. Equatoria, Caretaker Governor
Dear readers,
The below statement by Jemma Nunu is the worst exposure of Salva Kiir’s double stance on democratic process.
“Take it from me, any SPLM member contesting seen supporting the Independent Candidate shall be dealt with and smashed, this is the message I have carried from Juba from the SPLM chairman Gen Salvatore Kiir Mayardit,” Jemma Nunu Kumba, WES Caretaker Governor told SPLM members during the ongoing 2-day workshop.
Oduck Bol
SPLM members may face torture in W. Equatoria, Caretaker Governor
“Realy”
“Those who suport other parties must be dealt and smash”;that’s Salva Kiir messsage to all southerns and indpendent canadates . I think, that is pure dectatorship.No question about that. So, everybody must be careful with this message.I think people who were not in south sudan in 1983-1998 can iginore this message.
Time1
SPLM members may face torture in W. Equatoria, Caretaker Governor
Junub
You are Right, this is just an empty complain from independent candidate, they say empty barrels make loud noises, this is what is happening with the complainers.
you are also right the Sudan Tribune has become and independent candidate too, they have rebelled, but le tthem hope they have popular support on the ground , because rumours on the internet sometimes can be very misleading, but good luck to those rebels and HIV carriers supported by SudanTribune.com website.
SPLM will sweep this elections while the independent candidates will continue to complain with no jobs.