South Sudan downplays SPLM dissolution impact on peace agreement
October 18, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudanese government on Sunday said the dissolution of structures of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), will not affect the implementation of the peace agreement it signed between president Salva Kiir and the armed opposition faction led by former vice president, Riek Machar.
“The dissolution of the structures of the SPLM except the office of the chairperson was a decision made by the national liberation council as an internal party decision. It is about reorganization of the SPLM so that the party moves forward with it activities. It has nothing do with the peace agreement and so it will not have any negative impact on the implementation of the peace. Instead it will enrich and enhance the implementation process,” Marial said on Sunday.
Marial explained that the decision of the council which is the legislative body of the ruling party gives the chairperson powers to appoint a caretaker committee to run the activities of the party until such time when a national convention of the party members is held to elect its leadership.
He said members from other factions of the ruling SPLM outside the country either as rebels or with the former detainees wishing to return to the country to participate in the convention are welcomed.
“The president has already issued a general amnesty granting pardons to those willing to return to the country, particularly the SPLM members who would wish to participate in the upcoming convention,” he said.
“They are welcomed and we encourage them to do so because it is really important we have to come together and reorganise ourselves, reorganise the party and the leadership so that we move forward with one agenda of uniting our people and the country and start with the implementation of the peace agreement to bring stability to the country and our people.”
However, the minister’s comment contradicted earlier comment on the matter by the presidential press secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny, who said the dissolution of the party structure was “nullifying” the reunification of the party factions.
The dissolution received mixed reactions from the general public and critics of president Kiir, with some questioning why party activities are done in the state house instead of party headquarters.
Lam Tungwar, Unity state minister of youth, culture and sports also told Sudan Tribune on Saturday that the decision of the liberation council to dissolve all the structures was the right decision at the right time.
“It will help the party to reorganize itself, elect new leadership and new secretariat at all levels from village to boma and payam to county and state all the way to the national level,” he said.
Daniel Awet Akot, a leading member of the ruling SPLM and a close political ally of president Kiir equally welcomed the dissolution of the party structures, asserting it was time to reorganize the party.
“We need the SPLM to move forward with objective of uniting the country which cannot be achieved if we are not organised. We need to put our house in order and this cannot be delayed,” said Akot
Gordon Buay, one of the South Sudanese ambassadors at its mission in the United States of America told Sudan Tribune on Saturday that the dissolution would allow the party and its chairperson to appoint the cadres who are loyal to the leadership, particularly president Kiir.
“President Kiir made one of the best decisions in his political career by dissolving the structures of the SPLM so that he appoints only the cadres who are loyal to his leadership,” said Buay.
He said he was personally opposed to the reunification agreement of the ruling SPLM reached in the Tanzanian town of Arusha last year because it aimed to return to the fold the same people with ambition to wrestle power from the incumbent chairperson as a means to getting the national power.
“I am one of the people who opposed the Arusha Agreement simply because in politics you cannot resurrect your enemy and give him oxygen and muscles to fight you,” said Buay.
Suzanne Jambo, former secretary for external affairs at the national secretariat welcomed the dissolution of the structures, including her office and other colleagues.
She defended the exemption from dissolution office of the chairperson of the ruling party, claiming it was constitutional for the chair to remain in office until when the convention is conducted.
Jambo also the compromised peace agreement had abrogated the Arusha agreement by allowing the factions of the ruling SPLM to share power as separate entities instead of treating them as one group.
“It was the IGAD August 2015 compromised peace agreement which abrogated the Arusha January 2015 SPLM re-unification Agreement thereby IGAD by allocating power percentages to three different entities and not one United SPLM. Thus, it was the IGAD which divided the SPLM into three,” said Jambo.
But the armed opposition faction of SPLM-IO under the leadership of Machar said the decision to dissolve the structures of the SPLM was one of the series of mistakes and violations president Kiir’s clique had been making.
“The regime has been making a series of mistakes, violations after violations. The move contradicts the Arusha agreement which aims to reunify the SPLM factions and reinstate the party’s pre-15 December 2013 leadership before a national convention is convened,” said Machar’s press secretary, James Gatdet Dak.
He said president Kiir’s faction aimed to dismantle the historical party, adding that he was trying to push other factions into forming their own political parties.
(ST)