Machar renews calls for calm, reaffirming Kiir’s right to remove him
July 29, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s former vice-president, Riek Machar, on Sunday renewed calls for calm among citizens, insisting president Salva Kiir had the right to remove him from office.
Machar warned those who said they were waiting for the formation of the government in order to react, saying they should instead support the president to quickly form the government and avoid a power vacuum.
“Who do they want to fight?” he said, adding that his decision to run for the party chairmanship and 2015 presidential elections has been well received in communities across South Sudan, reminding warmongers that fighting any one would mean fighting his own supporters across the country.
He said that any political change in the country must come through peaceful and democratic processes, which is why he has been telling the army to maintain a neutral position.
Machar has vowed to concentrate his energy on his position as deputy chairman, adding that he had no plans to split from the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) to create an independent opposition party.
Alluding to his declared intention to run for the presidency, he told the audience that Kiir will remain the president of South Sudan for the next two years until 2015 when fresh elections will be conducted.
He further stressed that he will continue to serve the people and promote democracy and multiparty democracy in the country, reiterating his determination to defeat Kiir at the ballot box.
Machar condemned the removal of the elected governors in Lakes and Unity states and distanced himself from the suspension of SPLM secretary-general Pagan Amum, saying that any disciplinary measures should be addressed through the party’s institutions
Machar also said that he wished the president had consulted with the politburo of the ruling party on the formation of the next government.
(ST)