SPLM to investigate former vice-president
August 4, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s ruling Sudan’s People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) will investigate the conduct of the country’s former vice-president and a deputy chairperson of the party, Riek Machar Teny, for allegedly using public media to discredit the government and announcing his presidential ambition.
He ignored the existence of these rules and went off track to not only criticize the president but used wrong channels to air out his personal opinions”, a senior official said Sunday.
The official, who occupies a key position at the national secretariat, said SPLM members were shocked to read statements coming out from the deputy chairperson.
“Comrade Riek Machar is the senior member of the leadership council. He is not just a member of the national Political Bureau but he is the deputy chairperson. He was also the vice-president for eight years, which means he was the chief execute administrator,” he said, adding; “in fact Kiir president delegated to him all the powers to run the government during the interim period (of the CPA implementation)”.
“He was the one in charge of everything. Now it was surprising seeing him coming out to blame President Salva Kiir. This was wrong”, he stressed.
These statements comes less than 24 hours following a warning message Machar issued through a local radio in Bentiu against any unilateral move to dismiss him of the ruling party. He told Naath FM on Friday that such measure could lead to chaos and instability in the country.
Machar reiterated further his criticism to Salva Kiir pointed out that recent decisions to dissolve the cabinet or suspending SPLM secretary general among others are taken without consulting the party leadership.
President Salva Kiir once again on Saturday during a meeting with the SPLM caucus in the parliament criticized those who challenge his leadership and added they have quit the party and form their own organization.
The official who did not want to be named told Sudan Tribune that the leadership is closely following the conduct of the vice president even after his removal from the government because he is still holding key position in the party to continue utter negative statement about the government led by his own party.
“The SPLM to which comrade Riek Machar is the deputy chairperson is still the government running the government where he had just been removed due to the way he has been conducting himself. He has been using wrong venues to express his opinion. There are right channel to use. We have the political; there is a national liberation council and the general assembly. These are the areas where members are allowed to discuss internal matters and not in the public media”, he explained.
He pointed out the leadership will investigate the deputy chairperson during the general assembly expected to be held when preparations are completed and approved.
“Members are waiting for the deputy chairperson. They want to know why he did not want to use the existing channels and venues. They want to know why he decided to use different means. He used the public media. He used the international media to criticize the president and exposed his plan to contest before the time”, he said.
The governor of Eastern Equatoria, Louis Lobong Lojore, himself a chairperson of the governing party in the state, confirmed publicly on Sunday plans of the SPLM leadership to investigate Machar.
Lojore said the leadership did not expect the former vice-president would avoid using the right channels if he was sincere to address challenges facing the government and the leadership of the ruling party.
“We did not expect the vice president would come out to the public and criticize the government in which he was serving as part of the same system. Dr. Riek Machar is a senior member of the party and it because of his seniority in the party the president delegated him some of his powers during interim period. He was actually the president of the government of Southern Sudan. If there is a failure, then he will be one of those who will be answerable and if there is a success, then he would be the one of those who would take the credit, whatever happens will go to him and the president”, Lojore said.
Governor Lojore, who was speaking to media in a statement broadcast by the official television (SSTV) upon his arrival to Eastern Equatoria State capital, Torit, lauded dismissal of the vice-president and suspension of the Secretary General Pagan Amum.
He advanced the same arguments that Machar and Amum gave to challenge Kiir recent decisions saying they did not observe the rules of the party.
The governor blamed them for using “wrong channels” to speak about internal problems in the ruling party, adding that they will be waiting for them in the upcoming national convention to say why they did not want to use the right channels and adhere to basic rules and regulation of the SPLM
“If we do not respect our own rules and regulation as the leaders, then who will respect them”, he asked.
(ST)
South Sudan’s Kiir, ex-VP Machar exchange spats over direction of the SPLM