South Sudan opposition leader pledges unconditional cooperation
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October 2, 2011 (JUBA) - Lam Akol Ajawin, the leader of the Sudan
People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC) - South
Sudan’s official opposition political party - on Sunday pledged
unconditional cooperation with the government and president Salva Kiir
Mayardit in order to foster unity and development of the new nation.
JPEG - 71.4 kb
SPLM-DC’s leader Lam Akol (L) and South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir
(R) Source (http://paanluelwel2011.wordpress.com/)
Speaking to journalists at Juba International Airport upon arrival
from the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Sunday, he said he was "happy"
to be back in the capital of the new republic of South Sudan.
Akol’s return comes after he met with Kiir in Nairobi to discuss
political issues that were blocking his return to the country from
Khartoum.
Since Akol split from the SPLM in 2009 to form his own party, SPLM-DC
has been banned and accused of having an illegal militia loyal to it.
However, despite claiming its agents and candidates were harassed,
SPLM-DC became the largest opposition party after elections in 2010.
Despite South Sudan becoming independent in July Akol has maintained
an office in Khartoum the Sudanese capital. He told journalists that
the issues that had kept him from returning were “not big" and that
was "grateful" that Kiir had understood his concerns.
The SPLM and SPLM-DC have spent much of the last two years attempting
to tarnish each others image, which reportedly had led to deep
mistrust among leaders and followers of the two parties.
However Akol said on Sunday that he and Kiir “agreed that as new
nation, in building it we need to cooperate, we need to work together,
we need to have consensus on how we approach the challenges that are
facing our country."
"Nobody however small is not important in this exercise (building the
nation). This is the understanding we have and therefore I hope that
as I come as the leader of the SPLM-DC, we will, as opposition party,
cooperates with the government and especially the president", said
Akol.
Akol argued that opposition parties were an important part of
democracies and said some people were under the "misconception that
the opposition and the government don’t come together".
"Democracy calls for opposition and government" to act as a mirror and
hold the executive to account, he said.
Elections in South Sudan in 2010 saw an overwhelming vote establishing
the SPLM as the ruling party. The SPLM had governed South Sudan as an
autonomous region of Sudan since a 2005 peace deal.
Akol said SPLM-DC would be ready to extend a hand of cooperation to
the government and the president in order to “precede with the dreams
and ambitions, aspirations" of South Sudan, which for decades has
suffered due to conflict.
"It is our duty as sons and daughters of this nation to build it so
that our people could get what they want so that prosperity could
record”, said Akol
General Alfred Lado Gore, minister of environment in the central
government who was at Juba International Airport to greet Akol told
Sudan Tribune he appreciated his return.
“This is the only way forward. I welcome Dr. Lam home because politics
is best played while one is able to see what is being done. We want
those who will keep reminding the party in power all the time through
constructive and not destructive politics”, said Gore.
Gore said that constructive opposition and allowing communities and
diverse groups to be heard was how democracy is conducted around the
world and South Sudan should not be an exception. "There is no point
we can endanger lives of our people simply because we are not agreeing
on certain agenda," added Gore.
The main source of hostility and bickering originates from the 2010
elections when Akol stood against Kiir for the presidency of South
Sudan. Akol and the SPLM-DC felt that the results had been tampered
with in favour of the SPLM and claimed they had won far more votes and
seats in parliament.
Onyoti Adigo, the leader of the SPLM-DC in the National Assembly
commended the reconciliation initiative.
“It is a great joy and honour for what president of the South Sudan
did by meeting with our chairman. The meeting was very cordial and
friendly”, said Adigo claiming that Akol and president Kiir were great
friends.
"Their meeting in Nairobi was very encouraging indeed that was why
they met without any third power or third person to bring them
together”, he said
The senior SPLM-DC member said the invitation to meet from president
Kiir was accepted immediately by Akol. Adigo maintained that Akol
received no assurances before his return.
He said the main things the SPLM-DC leader wants to achieve is the
achievement of the unity of the people of South Sudan in order to
build the nation. "That is number one thing which we think it is very
important. The second thing is how we deliver service to our community
because they are with great expectations", he said.
Defection of senior SPLM-DC members
Adigo accused individual members with the South Sudan’s ruling party,
the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) of instilling fear by
threatening some members of the SPLM-DC.
He said that other politicians who moved back to the SPLM was gain a
position in the government. The SPLM congratulated the defectors and
"described them as nationalists”, Adigo said.
(ST)
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