SPLM politburo refers its disagreements to NLC
June 23, 2013 (JUBA) – The Political Bureau (PB) of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) – South Sudan’s ruling party – will take the party’s basic documents, which are under review, to the current National Liberation Council (NLC) for further deliberations and endorsement in the wake of internal disagreements, reveals a senior party member.
The ruling party has also been haunted by rampant corruption, which has dwindled the hopes and aspirations of the people of the new country even before independence was achieved in July 2011 from the former Sudan.
Reports from the party secretariats in the ten states of the country suggested that the party had “lost vision and direction.”
In the wake of independence, SPLM embarked on reviewing its basic documents: namely the constitution, manifesto, rules and regulations and the code of conduct so as to conform to the reality of the new independent state as well as address the party internal shortcomings.
An anonymous member of the NLC revealed to Sudan Tribune on Sunday that the politburo, including the party’s top leadership, is divided over some of the provisions of the document.
Two documents, including the draft constitution and manifesto were deliberated on by the highest structure, the politburo, the official said, but explained that the serious disagreements, which emerged among the members over some of the provisions prompted the decision to refer the document to the NLC prematurely.
He said the deputy chairman of the party and country’s vice president, Riek Machar, is among the senior members of the politburo who have objected to some of the provisions in the draft constitution.
He said Machar was for a “secret ballot” and against the “show of hand” as a voting mechanism, calling it an attempt of intimidating voters, unless it was demanded during a voting exercise by a one-third of the concerned structures such as the NLC, and national convention.
The NLC member further revealed that he had received written comments which the deputy chairman, Machar, had distributed to all the members of the NLC, PB and SPLM chairman, articulating provisions of concern in the draft constitution.
He added that the deputy chairman had wanted some powers to be given to the NLC to elect members of the politburo and deputy chairman of the party, instead of the chairman appointing them, arguing that this would help the party transform and renew its membership rather than recycling them by appointments.
In an extract from Machar’s widely circulated comments to senior party officials which was emailed to Sudan Tribune by the NLC official, he also reacted against article 18(6) in the party’s draft constitution, for instance, which suggested that the chairman of the party shall nominate to NLC members for appointment to the Political Bureau (PB).
“This article [18(6) is undemocratic. The PB is an important institution that should be elected by members of the party rather than being left in the hands of one person. Under a situation of no elections of leaders the Party will not renew as such the old members who have been in the leadership will be recycling themselves without a popular mandate. Finally the party will degenerate instead of rejuvenating”, partly reads Machar’s comments.
He said the PB in turn will elect the secretary general of the party.
Many members of the PB also voiced concern over the provision in the draft constitution, which gives the chairman the leverage to appoint 5% of delegates to the national convention, saying it was also undemocratic.
Earlier, Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, widow of late founder of SPLM, John Garang de Mabior, warned of “red lines” in the transformational process. Nyandeng supported the need for primary elections at the grassroots in securing new delegates that will elect party leaders during the upcoming national convention later this year.
While there are a number of contestants for the chairmanship position, Machar is the most senior party leader that has publicly come out to challenge the incumbent chairman, Salva Kiir in the next party elections and to consequently contest in the 2015 presidential elections.
In many public occasions, Machar reiterated the importance of establishing a solid democratic foundation for the new nation in order to achieve unity of the people by avoiding dictatorship that may polarize communities after attaining independence.
He also criticised the ongoing groupings into three greater regional blocs as alternative forums that take over the role of national political parties; warning that South Sudan will be divided into three political opinions and that will kill the national vision and program of national political parties.
It is not yet clear when the ruling party, SPLM, will call for the meeting of the NLC and convene an extraordinary convention to pass the basic documents.
After the passing of the documents the party will again call for the regular national convention to elect new leadership.
Prior to the election at the national level, there will be grassroots elections for state congress and state liberation council; county congress and county liberation council; payam congress and payam liberation council; as well as boma congress and boma liberation council, respectively.
(ST)