S. Sudan’s Kiir sacks long-serving youth leader, names successor

January 5, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan president has issued an order removing a more than two decade youth leader, sparking questions on motives behind the move.

President Kiir, according to the order broadcast by the state owned SSBC television on Wednesday in his capacity as the chairman of the governing Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in government, removed Akol Paul Kordit from the post which he held over two decades as the head of the young wing in the party.

He replaced him, according to another order, with Emmanuel Lubari Joseph as a provisional Chairperson of the SPLM Youth League.

The order Entitled as the SPLM Chairmanship Decree No.2 2017, did not say whether the new youth leader would assume the youth membership at the political bureau, the highest executive organ, according to the hierarchical structure of the party or he would wait until a new national convention is convened and fresh elections are held.

It is also unclear whether the former chairperson would continue to remain the youth at the political bureau.

Observers believe the new person would assume all the rights including taking the membership at the political bureau as it was the basis on which Kordit uses to participate at the decision making discussions in the party leadership as the representative of the youth.

(ST)