SPLM’s Amum says he will review Kiir’s decision for legality

July 26, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Secretary General of South Sudan’s People Liberation Movement (SPLM) Pagan Amum challenged president Salva Kiir’s decision to suspend and refer him to investigation suggesting it violates the ruling party’s charter.

Amum, in an interview with the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, stressed that per the SPLM constitution, the SG should only answer to certain figures in the party and not a commission.

He said any issue with his performance should be handled directly by the chairman of the party or the Political Bureau or the Liberation Council.

“I will wait for the notification formally from president Kiir himself then I will deal with the matter on the basis of the party’s constitution and If it is in violation then I will write to the President that he has to follow the constitution,” Amum said.

Kiir, who is also the SPLM chairman, established a five-member committee, headed by the national legislative assembly speaker, James Wani Igga, to probe allegations that Amum mismanaged the affairs of the SPLM, both administratively and politically.

Amum is also accused of insubordination for using the public media to discredit the party and its leadership.

Kiir also banned Amum from travelling outside the country, holding press conferences or making statements to the media during this probe.

The SPLM SG disclosed that he met with Kiir few days before the decision and urged him to call for a politburo meeting to discuss the political situation in the country and the current issues of the party but that Kiir ignored the plea.

He underscored that he has no personal issues with Kiir but that the differences between the two are related to the party’s programmes and its implementation by senior SPLM figures.

Amum also defended his public criticisms of the government and Kiir saying that this practice of self-criticism is embedded in the SPLM culture.

This month, the SPLM SG rapped Kiir over his suspension of Minister of Cabinet Affairs Deng Alor and minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Kosti Manibe over corruption allegations saying it is politically motivated.

Amum is also among the senior party officials who want to contest against the incumbent who has been the party chairman since 2005, slamming him of failure to lead the nation-state building.

This week Kiir fired his deputy Riek Machar and dissolved the entire government in what was seen as an intensification of power struggle within the SPLM.

(ST)