SPLM begins registering members in Mayom county

May 11, 2016 (BENTIU) – South Sudan’s ruling party (SPLM) leadership has started the process of voluntarily registering new members in Mayom county of oil-rich Unity state.

John Bol Mayak, the SPLM chairman in Mayom, said the move was initiated to admit new members into the SPLM.

A number of citizens had petitioned the party leadership at the state level, and that their request was successfully approved by party as registration commenced on 9 May.

According to Mayak, the registration process is enable people who still supports the historical party, but fled the country during the 21-month conflict to return and join it.

“We are registering the people base on their interest on joining SPLM freely. This is not an intimidation but it is voluntarily and individual willing to be part of SPLM,” he said.

Mayak said other parties such as the armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO) were also free to register their members.

“You know South Sudan is multiparty system, we encourage other political parties to register their supporters and the county authorities will use maximum cooperation on giving them green light of movement,” stressed the SPLM official.

Civil war broke out in South Sudan in December 2013 after political disagreements surfaced between President Kiir and Machar, who was sacked as vice-president in July that year.

(ST)