Machar tells SPLA to distance itself from politics
May 19, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s vice-president, Riek Machar, has strongly directed the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) to distance itself from the ongoing political debates in the country.
The vice-president issued the strong-worded statement to the army during the celebration marking the 30thanniversary of the founding of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) in 1983.
The event, attended by senior army generals, was organised by the army general headquarters in Juba and invited the vice-president to grace the occasion.
As a national army, Machar told them not to belong to any tribes or political party while calling on the civil populations to respect the army as the defender of the people and territorial integrity of the nation.
South Sudan army has not yet succeeded to transform from the bush life of a guerrilla army, composed of different tribes in a form of alliance, to a professional, non-partisan national army.
SPLA chief of general staff, Gen. James Hoth Mai, had earlier warned the forces against indulging in the ongoing political processes in the country.
There were fears that if the political debates within the SPLM were not done in accordance with its democratic principles and fair process, the army could be attracted and polarized, as well as communities.
Hoth however reminded the army that they did not belong to individual leaders, adding they were ready to work with any president in the country and the only political role they would play was to vote for the person they individually chose during the ballot box.
The ruling party, SPLM, has been undergoing transformational process prompted by the weaknesses revealed by the party’s various secretariats in the states which suggested that it had “lost direction and vision.”
The party is also supposed to hold its national elections in every five years to elect a new leadership.
The last national convention was held in May 2008 in which president Kiir was confirmed the party chairman after taking over from late John Garang de Mabior who died in a mysterious circumstance in plane crash in 2005 while on his way back to South Sudan from a visit to Uganda.
Machar and other high ranking officials in the party during the political bureau meeting in March this year blamed the party failure to the chairman, Salva Kiir Mayardit, whom Machar criticized for not providing the needed guidance and vision as the ship’s captain.
He also criticised him for not doing enough as president of the government in the nation-state building, saying he could not seriously fight the rampant corruption, polarizing tribalism and overwhelming insecurity as well as strengthen the country’s poor economy and its isolating international relations.
Machar also told the president and chairman that he was ready to take up the challenge of correcting the failures if he was given the chance to lead the party and compete in the 2015 presidential elections.
He asked Kiir, who was his running mate and deputy for the last eight years to support him in the process, promising that he would tackle the issues head-on.
Kiir however reportedly said he would also seek to contest again for the chairmanship and compete in the 2015 elections.
The internal party consultative meetings also aimed to pass the party’s basic documents and prepare for a national convention in which a leadership will be elected. The confirmed or newly elected chairman of the party will be ready to contest for the 2015 presidential elections.
Accompanying the vice-president during the army celebration was Nhial Deng Nhial, the current foreign minister, who also served as defence minister for two years.
(ST)