Campaign heats up in Bor county for commissioner’s seat
November 20, 2014 (BOR) – The communities of Athoc and Gok in Jonglei state’s Bor county have begun campaigning following the removal of former commissioner Agot Alier.
The three payams (districts) of Anyidi, Makuach and Kolnyang have formed one bloc in the hopes of wining the seat.
Under the power-sharing strategy, Kolnyang, which has not participated in government since 2005, will name three candidates from which the governor will appoint the next commissioner.
The Athoc community is also campaigning for the seat.
The state’s caretaker governor, John Kong, has given a three-day deadline to receive the names of candidates to be considered for the role.
“We have our own ways of doing things. You, as Athoc or Gok, may think that the chance belongs to you, but after facing one another in the talks, we will come up with which side should take the chance,” Paramount chief Alier Aluong told Sudan Tribune.
“I am not supporting Athoc or Gok or any particular candidate at this time, but the community who should take the chance if Gok is allowed to name the candidates, we will now help them to choose the right people, the same applies to Athoc,” he added.
On Wednesday, MPs representing Bor county in the state parliament, including Kuol Bol Ayom of Athoc North, Alier Maliet Apat of Athoc South, Maker Chol Adol of Makuach payam, Philip Thon Nyok of Bor town and Mayom Ngong of Kolnyang payam, cautioned the governor not to accept nominations from any names parties outside the communities.
The governor, who has since nullified three confidential nominations received from Juba, asked the MPs to work with their respective communities to identify three other candidates by the 22 November deadline.
Ngong said he was confident the governor would adhere to the request from MPs.
“He already had three names, and one person among those is from Kolnyang here, but because he was named in Juba by [an] unknown group of people, we will not consider him for this seat,” the MP said.
“John Kong agreed to throw away those names and wait for [the] Bor community to select the names of the candidates,” he added.
Another source told Sudan Tribune that some elements in Juba were causing disunity among communities in Bor county.
Tensions are already building among different payams as the deadline for nominations nears.
A general meeting is expected to be held at Bor’s White Nile Hotel on Friday between representatives from Athoc and Gok to discuss the selection of candidates.
Youth from Bor have been conducting a series of local dances and wrestling ahead of the appointment of the new commissioner.
It remains unclear at this stage who the front-runners for the seat are.
Among those named by their respective communities as potential candidates are Mamer Ruk from Jale, Deng Mabior Deng (Deng-Jama wula), Leek Mac Dhuol and Ayom Mac, all from Kolnyang payam.
However, it is premature to predict who would ultimately be nominated based on their capabilities.
(ST)