Kiir appeals to citizens of Central Equatoria to vote for him

March 21, 2010 (JUBA) – Salva Kiir Mayardit, the Southern Sudan’s presidential candidate on the ticket of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), has called on the citizens of Central Equatoria state to vote for him during the upcoming elections.

The incumbent President made the call in Yei town on Friday during his campaign’s rally in the town. He said he learnt that there were talks among the citizens of Central Equatoria state that they would punish him by not voting for him because he did not approve of their independent candidates.

Kiir’s former presidential advisor on Diplomatic Affairs, Lt. General Afred Ladu Gore, tops the list of independent candidates in Central Equatoria state. Gore independently contests for the post of governor against the incumbent caretaker governor and official SPLM candidate, Major General Clement Wani Konga.

He defended the decision to disown over 300 independent candidates who were formerly SPLM officials, saying it was not his unilateral decision but a collective one reached by the party’s Political Bureau in Juba.

Seven independent former SPLM officials are contesting for governorship positions in their respective states while hundreds of others are contesting for various parliamentary seats at national, Southern Sudan and states assemblies.

All the six states of Greater Equatoria and Greater Upper Nile regions have independent candidates contesting for governorship positions in addition to one state in Greater Bahr el Ghazal, Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, making seven out of ten the states which have independent candidates for the position.

All the ten states have parliamentary independent candidates contesting at different levels.

Kiir added that people were speculating to vote for Dr. Lam Akol, the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC). He however assured that even if he would lose Central Equatoria state, he would still win the elections.

“Even if Dr. Lam Akol beats me in Central Equatoria state, I will still beat him in other states, don’t forget that,” he told the huge crowd.

He however assured that he would also win the votes from the state and called on the “loyal” SPLM members to vote for all official party candidates at all levels.

Kiir also acquainted the crowd with the differences between the flags of SPLM and SPLM-DC that are being used during the campaigns. He also told the citizens to be vigilant about intruders who want to substitute their voting slips with fake ones that would not be accepted during the voting.

The SPLM chairman also carried out his campaign in Kajo-Keji County in Central Equatoria state, Nimule, Torit and Kapoeta in Eastern Equatoria state where he always assured the citizens of the SPLM’s determination to take the people of Southern Sudan to the referendum.

He repeatedly declared Dr. Riek Machar Teny as his “running mate” in every rally he delivered speech to, confirming that he would be his Vice President in the next government if he will be elected, or else fall with him.

“If I will be elected, Dr. Riek Machar will be my deputy in the next government and if I lose the elections we will lose it together,” he said. “If you don’t elect me and make me to fall, I will also fall on his [Machar] head,” he jokingly continued.

Dr. Riek Machar also urged the citizens to vote for his chairman and president, Salva Kiir, saying the citizens had already seen his achievements for the last five years and he would therefore continue building on such achievements.

April 11 general elections are only 20 days away and will be the first elections with wide participation across the country since 1986.

There are however voices from the main northern opposition political parties and the observer US-based Carter Center, citing concern over general unsuccessful preparations for the elections and calling for the delay of the exercise.

IGAD’s recent summit in Nairobi, Kenya, and Egyptian government had suggested that both elections and referendum be delayed. Eritrean President, Isayas Afworki, also advised that elections be postponed and priority be given to the conduct of referendum in the South after which the elections could be conducted at a later date either in a confirmed united Sudan or separately in two different countries.

The dominant National Congress Party (NCP) has rejected any delay to the elections while the SPLM’s chairman, Salva Kiir Mayardit, in his response during the IGAD summit warned that if there were to be any delay to the elections the decision would be made in a way that would not affect the conduct of the referendum in January 2011.

The people of Southern Sudan give more importance to referendum than to the elections and are ready to defend it [referendum] at any cost, he said.

(ST)