WES governor campaigns against rivals

March 17, 2010 (MARIDI) – Jemma Nunu Kumba, the official SPLM candidate and the Western Equatoria State caretaker governor, is on campaign against several independent candidates in the state.

In Western Equatoria there are five candidates contesting for the state’s gubernatorial seat, Mrs. Jemma Nunu Kumba (SPLM), Awad Kisanga (NCP), Bullen Ajal (UDSF), Natale Ukele and Col. Joseph Bakosoro as an Independent.

Two leading rival candidates are each speaking confidently of victory. The SPLM candidate’s “path to victory remains undisputed,” said her press secretary. On the other hand, Col. Joseph Bakosoro Adil Senderi’s campaign team stated, “Each place we go, people ask us for more signs, more brochures. Things are starting to go victorious.”

Gov. Kumba has recently completed a tour of Tambura County accompanied by other SPLM nominated candidates for various legislative positions. She extended her campaign to Mundri, following the footsteps of Col. Bakosoro, who has been campaigning there for a week.

While making her entry into Tambura County, area supporters spread clothes and leaves for the candidate to march onto, while cheers and ululations filled the air.

In her address to residents, Governor Jemma pledged to remain committed to the fulfilment of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), citing peace and stability of the region as being of paramount importance. “We need peace, love, and care for each other as we were during the war and is now. Let no one mislead us to go into war again. Let us say no to war and yes to peace,” she said.

INDEPENDENTS RALLY

Joseph Bakosoro, a former humanitarian activist and then SPLM official, spent the last week touring Greater Tambura and Greater Mundri in his campaign bus before reaching Maridi town.

A convoy of independent candidates in 33 vehicles came to Maridi for their own rally. The candidates included Dr. Richard K. Mulla, Joseph Pio, and Alison Totto. Some supporters came all the way from Mundri including those of Richard K. Mulla, Martin Tako Moyi and others who met Bakosoro’s campaign team at Mambe (Faraksika) 15 miles from Maridi. An eyewitness told Sudan Tribune there were thousands of people waiting in Faraksika to receive Bakosoro.

In Maridi town a large number of people waited under mango trees behind the football field to receive and listen to speeches from many independent candidates.

Supporters cheered by saying “welcome our new governor, welcome our new MPs Adil Oyeee, Bakosoro Oyeeee, Independent Oyeee,” and so on.

Wearing a tan coloured trousers, Bakosoro shook hands with voters along the campaign route as screaming Bodaboda motorcycles and elaborate floats rolled by. “I had no idea there were going to be so many people here,” Bakosoro said at the rally. Seemingly overwhelmed, he turned to his campaign volunteers and said, “It’s is not good for us to be just standing around. Let’s try to figure out where we’re headed.”

Bakosoro spoke of unity among the people of the state, promising to revise the issue of downsizing if elected – a reference to dismissal of teachers, health officials and schools closings. He vowed that if elected, he will build a government which shall be responsible for its people and upgrade the standard of health services and promote education. “If we cannot send our children to school, where is the future of southern Sudan and WES in particular?”

One resident reacted positively saying “I’ve never heard of the guy, but I thought the pitch was pretty decent.” Mario Manuku, 57, of Gangara Asomuni, liked that Bakosoro would be different from the incumbent governor, who is contesting on the SPLM ticket, saying she has poorly governed the state.

Independent candidates expressed commitment to change the government in Yambio but they threw their support to the incumbent South Sudan president, Salva Kiir Mayardit and SPLM national presidential candidate Yaser Arman. They stated, though, that from Kiir’s deputy downwards, they want to see changes and new faces.

With the hour getting late, the campaign discussed scrapping another stop in Ibba County, 18 miles from Maridi on the Maridi to Yambio road.

‘DESIST FROM POLITICS OF HATRED’

Reportedly, the incumbent governor has appealed to her counterparts, the independent candidates, “to desist from politics of hatred, insults, blackmail and counter-accusations.”

“We need unity and reconciliation among the people after years of instability. Politics of tribalism should not fail the SPLM,” the incumbent caretaker governor told residents of Tambura County.

Likewise in Maridi, Col. Larvick Liwa from Division 5 warned against anybody who threatens one another, saying that any such threats should be reported to the police. “Nobody has the right to threaten someone during the election. [We] are all sons and daughters of southern Sudan and should not treat ourselves as enemies because of politics,” he said.

He stated that “he came from Juba purposely because there were a lot of reports about threats in Maridi and other parts of the state especially against independent candidates.”

Jemma Nunu Kumba, called the ‘iron lady’ by some, is pledging to continue implementing the government’s strategy on development, education, health, security, agriculture and infrastructural development in WES.

“I will stand strong to implement the policies of SPLM and to be the voice of the voiceless as well as upholding human dignity of our people,” she said.

(ST)

Reported from Maridi; Julius Uma contributed additional reporting.