SPLM politburo refers its disagreements to NLC
Article
Comments (92)
email Email
print Print
pdfSave
separation
increase
decrease
separation
separation
facebook
myspace
twitter
buzzyahoo
June 23, 2013 (JUBA) – The Political Bureau (PB) of the Sudan People’s
Liberation Movement (SPLM) – South Sudan’s ruling party – will take
the party’s basic documents, which are under review, to the current
National Liberation Council (NLC) for further deliberations and
endorsement in the wake of internal disagreements, reveals a senior
party member.
JPEG - 24 kb
File picture from the 6th SPLM Polituro on 14 January 2010 where SPLM
chairman Salva Kiir (R) greets SG Pagan Amum (L) as his deputy Riek
Machar stands besides him (photo SPLM)
SPLM, a guerrilla movement turned into a political party after the
signing of a peace deal between Juba and Khartoum in 2005, has been
struggling to transform itself into a viable democratic political
party capable of establishing a solid democratic foundation and
leading the nation to prosperity.
The ruling party has also been haunted by rampant corruption, which
has dwindled the hopes and aspirations of the people of the new
country even before independence was achieved in July 2011 from the
former Sudan.
Reports from the party secretariats in the ten states of the country
suggested that the party had “lost vision and direction.”
In the wake of independence, SPLM embarked on reviewing its basic
documents: namely the constitution, manifesto, rules and regulations
and the code of conduct so as to conform to the reality of the new
independent state as well as address the party internal shortcomings.
An anonymous member of the NLC revealed to Sudan Tribune on Sunday
that the politburo, including the party’s top leadership, is divided
over some of the provisions of the document.
Two documents, including the draft constitution and manifesto were
deliberated on by the highest structure, the politburo, the official
said, but explained that the serious disagreements, which emerged
among the members over some of the provisions prompted the decision to
refer the document to the NLC prematurely.
He said the deputy chairman of the party and country’s vice president,
Riek Machar, is among the senior members of the politburo who have
objected to some of the provisions in the draft constitution.
He said Machar was for a "secret ballot" and against the "show of
hand" as a voting mechanism, calling it an attempt of intimidating
voters, unless it was demanded during a voting exercise by a one-third
of the concerned structures such as the NLC, and national convention.
The NLC member further revealed that he had received written comments
which the deputy chairman, Machar, had distributed to all the members
of the NLC, PB and SPLM chairman, articulating provisions of concern
in the draft constitution.
He added that the deputy chairman had wanted some powers to be given
to the NLC to elect members of the politburo and deputy chairman of
the party, instead of the chairman appointing them, arguing that this
would help the party transform and renew its membership rather than
recycling them by appointments.
In an extract from Machar’s widely circulated comments to senior party
officials which was emailed to Sudan Tribune by the NLC official, he
also reacted against article 18(6) in the party’s draft constitution,
for instance, which suggested that the chairman of the party shall
nominate to NLC members for appointment to the Political Bureau (PB).
"This article [18(6) is undemocratic. The PB is an important
institution that should be elected by members of the party rather than
being left in the hands of one person. Under a situation of no
elections of leaders the Party will not renew as such the old members
who have been in the leadership will be recycling themselves without a
popular mandate. Finally the party will degenerate instead of
rejuvenating", partly reads Machar’s comments.
He said the PB in turn will elect the secretary general of the party.
Many members of the PB also voiced concern over the provision in the
draft constitution, which gives the chairman the leverage to appoint
5% of delegates to the national convention, saying it was also
undemocratic.
Earlier, Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, widow of late founder of SPLM,
John Garang de Mabior, warned of "red lines" in the transformational
process. Nyandeng supported the need for primary elections at the
grassroots in securing new delegates that will elect party leaders
during the upcoming national convention later this year.
While there are a number of contestants for the chairmanship position,
Machar is the most senior party leader that has publicly come out to
challenge the incumbent chairman, Salva Kiir in the next party
elections and to consequently contest in the 2015 presidential
elections.
In many public occasions, Machar reiterated the importance of
establishing a solid democratic foundation for the new nation in order
to achieve unity of the people by avoiding dictatorship that may
polarize communities after attaining independence.
He also criticised the ongoing groupings into three greater regional
blocs as alternative forums that take over the role of national
political parties; warning that South Sudan will be divided into three
political opinions and that will kill the national vision and program
of national political parties.
It is not yet clear when the ruling party, SPLM, will call for the
meeting of the NLC and convene an extraordinary convention to pass the
basic documents.
After the passing of the documents the party will again call for the
regular national convention to elect new leadership.
Prior to the election at the national level, there will be grassroots
elections for state congress and state liberation council; county
congress and county liberation council; payam congress and payam
liberation council; as well as boma congress and boma liberation
council, respectively.
(ST)
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"South Sudan Info - The Kob" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to [email protected].
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To view this discussion on the web visit
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14opo9xryRj7LCJjVUZX9nG1Xmqd8YtNS2%3DCk7cPM-zV9zA%40mail.gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
