SPLM

SPLM deputy chairman says the party is in trouble

Published %A %B %e%q, %Y

May 19, 2013 (JUBA) – The deputy chairman of the South Sudan’s ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Riek Machar has warmed of a possible collapse of party, unless it democratically transforms and refocuses itself.

South Sudan vice-president Riek Machar (Reuters)

Machar, also the country’s vice president, told senior officials at the party’s general secretariat that the SPLM had “lost direction and vision”, making references to reports from various state secretariats across the country, which depicts the party was largely unpopular.

He however said it was incumbent upon the south-ruling party to change the status quo.

The vice president made these remarks Saturday during celebrations to mark the party’s 30th anniversary where he was invited to deliver a speech.

The party’s occasion took place two days after the army organized a similar event, at which Machar warmed South Sudan army (SPLA) to remain neutral in the ongoing political debates.

Last year, the SPLM dispatched its most senior members to various states and carried out a country-wide performance assessment based on the party’s policies and activities at the grassroots. However, results from these assessments shockingly showed the party had lost its sense of direction and vision.

Officials are now worried that the historical party may not win the upcoming 2015 elections, after it appears to have lost the confidence of the people as the country’s ruling party.

Many blame the party for alleged failure to deliver the much-needed service to the people, while other say the SPLM has performed below peoples’ expectations.

But the party’s deputy chairman stressed that there was need to transform the SPLM in order to refocus and become a viable political party capable of leading the country to prosperity.

Speaking at the same event, the government chief whip, Atem Garang, also highlighted the challenges facing the party and expressed the need to rectify them through transformation.

Atem heads the SPLM parliamentary caucus in the national legislative assembly.

In the process of transformation, however, the south-ruling party has been discussing its four basic documents, which include the constitution, manifesto, code of conduct and rules and regulations.

Primary elections at the grassroots are expected to take place and the elected members constitute delegates to the national convention scheduled for later this year.

Last week, a presidential advisor and widow of the late founder of the SPLM, Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, warned of what she said were “red lines” in the transformation process.

Nyandeng said it was important for the primary elections to take place prior to the convening of the convention.

Many senior party officials are also critical of the chairman’s favoured “show of hand” instead of the universal “secret ballot” voting mechanism during party elections.

Members are also critical of the chairman’s demand to handpick 5% of the candidates, saying this constitutes unfair competition, which can give him an upper hand against other contestants for chairmanship.

Senior party officials, including Machar criticised the president Salva Kiir, also the SPLM chairman, saying he has failed to provide guidance and vision.

(ST)

Article source: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article46630

Posted in Sudan Tribune: | Tagged Rebecca Nyandeng, Salva Kiir, South Sudan, SPLM, sudan

Machar tells SPLA to distance itself from politics

Published %A %B %e%q, %Y

May 19, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s vice-president, Riek Machar, has strongly directed the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) to distance itself from the ongoing political debates in the country.

South Sudan’s V-President Riek Machar speaks during a press conference in Khartoum, on May 30, 2011 (Reuters)

Machar told the army to be exemplary in the desired unity of the people of South Sudan and not take sides in debates of political nature.

The vice-president issued the strong-worded statement to the army during the celebration marking the 30thanniversary of the founding of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) in 1983.

The event, attended by senior army generals, was organised by the army general headquarters in Juba and invited the vice-president to grace the occasion.

As a national army, Machar told them not to belong to any tribes or political party while calling on the civil populations to respect the army as the defender of the people and territorial integrity of the nation.

South Sudan army has not yet succeeded to transform from the bush life of a guerrilla army, composed of different tribes in a form of alliance, to a professional, non-partisan national army.

SPLA chief of general staff, Gen. James Hoth Mai, had earlier warned the forces against indulging in the ongoing political processes in the country.

There were fears that if the political debates within the SPLM were not done in accordance with its democratic principles and fair process, the army could be attracted and polarized, as well as communities.

Hoth however reminded the army that they did not belong to individual leaders, adding they were ready to work with any president in the country and the only political role they would play was to vote for the person they individually chose during the ballot box.

The ruling party, SPLM, has been undergoing transformational process prompted by the weaknesses revealed by the party’s various secretariats in the states which suggested that it had “lost direction and vision.”

The party is also supposed to hold its national elections in every five years to elect a new leadership.

The last national convention was held in May 2008 in which president Kiir was confirmed the party chairman after taking over from late John Garang de Mabior who died in a mysterious circumstance in plane crash in 2005 while on his way back to South Sudan from a visit to Uganda.

Machar and other high ranking officials in the party during the political bureau meeting in March this year blamed the party failure to the chairman, Salva Kiir Mayardit, whom Machar criticized for not providing the needed guidance and vision as the ship’s captain.

He also criticised him for not doing enough as president of the government in the nation-state building, saying he could not seriously fight the rampant corruption, polarizing tribalism and overwhelming insecurity as well as strengthen the country’s poor economy and its isolating international relations.

Machar also told the president and chairman that he was ready to take up the challenge of correcting the failures if he was given the chance to lead the party and compete in the 2015 presidential elections.

He asked Kiir, who was his running mate and deputy for the last eight years to support him in the process, promising that he would tackle the issues head-on.

Kiir however reportedly said he would also seek to contest again for the chairmanship and compete in the 2015 elections.

The internal party consultative meetings also aimed to pass the party’s basic documents and prepare for a national convention in which a leadership will be elected. The confirmed or newly elected chairman of the party will be ready to contest for the 2015 presidential elections.

Accompanying the vice-president during the army celebration was Nhial Deng Nhial, the current foreign minister, who also served as defence minister for two years.

(ST)

Article source: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article46618

Posted in Sudan Tribune: | Tagged South Sudan, SPLA, SPLM, sudan, Sudan People