S. Sudan Opposition: Changson sacks FDP members accused of supporting P. Gatdet

December 5, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The Federal Democratic Party (FDP) led by Gabriel Changson, Wednesday, sacked four members saying they formed a new faction of the party supporting the election of Peter Gatdet for the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA).

In a statement issued late on Wednesday night in Khartoum, Changson said they learnt that Thomas Peter Okacb, Chanjok Neilak Oraj, Simon Otiek Ayul and Zakariya Paulino Oyai conducted “illegal meetings” on 2 and 3 December with Lam Akol, the leader of National Democratic Movement (NCM) to form a new faction of his party, the FDP.

“This is the violation of the party principles and norms,” he said.

“Therefore, the Leadership decided to terminate their membership from FDP/SSAF with effect from 04th December 2018,” he further stressed.

On Friday 30 November, an SSOA faction announced the election of Peter Gatdet as a new leader of the opposition umbrella replacing Changson who had been elected in February 2018. They pointed that the alliance charter established a rotating presidency with the election of a new chair every six months.

However, on 4 December, Changson and his supporters within the SSOA decided to suspend the Peter Gatdet election and keeping him at the head of the alliance. The other faction rejected the suspension of the election creating two organizations with two leaders.

(ST)