Unrest in Lakes state over appointment of new SPLM official

February 2, 2013 (RUMBEK) – South Sudan ruling party (SPLM) officials in Lakes state are divided, following the controversial appointment of Mabor Ater Dhuol, as acting secretary.

Daniel Awet Akot, the SPLM chairperson for Lakes state, appointed Dhuol in September last year, in a move the party’s state liberation council rejected, describing it as “unlawful”.

The council, accuse Akot, who is also the deputy speaker of South Sudan National Assembly, of making the decision without consulting other party members.

Last Friday, however, a ceremony organised by the SPLM chairperson to swear in the acting secretary for the party failed, after party members objected, saying they do not recognise his appointment.

Sudan Tribune could not get a comment from the deputy speaker over the matter.

Meanwhile, the party’s liberation council in Lakes state have petitioned South Sudan President, Salva Kiir, also chairperson of the SPLM, over the controversial appointment, by Akot, of the new state secretary.

In the letter, a copy of which Sudan Tribune obtained, the 51-member council openly accused their chairperson of allegedly managing party affairs “single handedly” without consulting others.

The 25 January petition, for instance, claims Akot chased away the duly recognised acting party secretary, Malou Moses Majok, and instead “imposed” Dhuol during an experience-sharing meeting the SPLM national secretariat conducted with the Norwegian Labour Party on 7 January.

“With these few accounts, we humbly bring this to your attention in the spirit of patriotism and comradeship and we pray and hope that our heroic party [SPLM] shall remain united and prosperous under your able leadership,” partly reads the petition, also copied to the country’s Vice President Riek Machar, among other senior party officials.

(ST)