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November 30, 2011 (BENTIU) - Four South Sudanese political parties have formed a coalition in Unity state to address the dominance of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
- South Sudan opposition political parties meeting atthe USDF office in Unity state 29, November 2011 (ST)
The agreement was reached after a three day meeting, bringing together the Democratic Forum, United Democratic Salvation Front Mainstream, United Sudan African Party and the African National Congress.
The Democratic Forum’s Boutros Both Dak was appointed as the spokesman for the four-party coalition. He said that the group "strongly condemn the way SPLM rule the state that does not include us in decision making within the state policy."
Dak said the government was the cause of many of the states problems accusing the SPLM of ignoring other political parties in issues such as the state’s new constitution.
He described this as "a great mistake" and said that the opposition parties were "disappointed" by the SPLA’s failure to involve them.
Dak added that the aim of the coalition was to help citizens establish peace and development working together with the SPLM. The SPLM are the political arm of the former rebel group that have governed South Sudan since a 2005 peace deal with Khartoum.
In elections last year the SPLM won the lion’s share of votes and remains the dominant force in South Sudanese politics.
The coalition spokesperson asked the SPLM to work with the other political parties in the new republic of South Sudan. He said that the SPLM would succeed in building the nation if it worked with other political parties.
Dak strongly condemned groups that had taken up arms against the South Sudanese government. He added that only through peaceful means could policy issues with the SPLM be addressed.
However, the SPLM’s acting chairman in Unity State, Samuel Lony Geng, denied that the SPLM is not inclusive towards other political parties.
- Samuel Lony Geng acting chairperson of SPLM in Unity State talking with Sudan Tribune (ST)
“I don’t think these allegation[s] are true, because as party SPLM, if these allegation were during the war and then I will say they are true, but after the CPA was signed the SPLM has been working very hard to democratise the nation."
The SPLM, he said, was trying to encourage multiparty democracy and participation at all levels of lawmaking. The 2010 elections were blighted by allegations of vote rigging in favour of the SPLM. Some political parties complained that their members were harassed and unable to campaign.
The SPLM chairman Salva Kiir, won the race for the presidency by over 90%.
Geng said that the SPLM do invited all parties to be represented, sometimes giving them airtime on state radio to address their issues. The allegations were baseless, he said.
(ST)
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