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Sudan Tribune

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Amum accepts to resign if independent candidates drop off race

By Ngor Arol Garang

February 13, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — Pagan Amum, SPLM Secretary General, has said recognizing and accepting voices calling on him to consider resignation from his post if independent candidates drop off intentions to contest upcoming April elections in favor of official nominees.

Pagan Amum
Pagan Amum
“I respect voices of the majority members of the SPLM and will not have problem stepping down from my position if this is what they think as solution,” he said. He also expressed his readiness to resign if independent candidates stop from contesting against SPLM runners.

“I am ready to resign if they are ready to stop from contesting independently and with assurances of having abandoned ideas that divides our party,” he adds.

Amum suffers calls for his resignation from the position of being secretary general of the by southern intellectuals with many making rough and unpleasant comments in most public forums saying he is the architect of SPLM candidate selection process and caused of mess.

A senior member of the SPLM national Liberation Council who declined to be named said the bylaws that governed the procedures and processes that led to nominations were bogus and unnecessary, especially after national convention of 2007/2008.

“SPLM Political Bureau should have adopted conventional political standards to facilitate democratic competition within the Party. Such standards are customarily known as party primaries prior to deciding constituent leadership,” the official commented adding these primaries could have started from Boma basic constituency unit upwards.

“It is only through these internationally provided criteria that fair competition could be maintained and promoted within the SPLM,” he stressed saying in such a way, the SPLM could have avoided this mess or rather a scheme of a group (secretariat) in the SPLM determined to get rid of those they assumed to be their opponents or political enemies.

“Such a behavior or divisive attitude, could be identified as a work of a minority clique in a given democratic or dictatorship party/organization,” the official added.

He continued to say the SPLM, which is our vehicle and our instrument/tool of our liberation, should not be left in the hands of those whose intentions seem divisive and destructive to the very life of the party. Can this mess be cleaned up now? No. It is now too late.”

“Today is the last day for withdrawal of any candidate;” he said adding that, as things are today, none of the candidates contesting for either gubernatorial or parliamentary seat is not responding to the Political Bureau’s initiative to persuade all or few of them.

“This phase is hopeless. The SPLM has failed or is failing to convince political rebels against their decision. What are the options available for now,” he posed.

The options are available, the official said. First is a decision which could be grounded on wisdom and knowledge to keep the Party together. Second is to float an unwise decision by dismissing the over347 SPLM members who have decided to contest as independent candidates for April 2010 elections,” he explained.

According to him, he suggested that since the Secretary General, Pagan Amuom acknowledges that ‘irregularities’ have been committed by his secretariats, a fair solution must be found to the injustice.

“One way is to request the NEC, along with other political parties, to extend the nominations schedule in order to save the SPLM votes that are going to be wasted as a result of the mess. This suggestion may save the Party, if it were accepted by the NEC,” he said.

“The second option is to dismiss the 347 independent candidates from the SPLM” but was quick to say such a decision could be very unpopular because an accepted mistake cannot be resolved by adding another mistake.

Some members of the Political Bureau may go with suggestion being now floated by H.E. Riek Machan. Dr. Riek suggesting that the SPLM allows the independents to contest allowed back to the Party after elections, successful or unsuccessful. “If such a proposal is adopted, it will be unprecedented,” he commented.

However, another commentator further argued that no political party in the world that had ever sponsored two candidates in a single constituency. It is politically clumsy and therefore destructive to the creditability of the SPLM.

Since it is now too late to catch up with nominations schedule, even to catch up with final withdrawal of candidates, the best for SPLM is to sleep on its mess. Any solutions now, such as withdrawal or dismissals, cannot be effective.

“In my honest opinion, the SPLM Political Bureau should shut up and condone their mistakes for better future of the Party,” he commented.

However participant observed that way to go, Since the mistake of the PB may introduce an internal democratic uprising and rebellion within the SPLM, the solution to these problems is not only to admit the mistake as SG has already done but to come up with a solution that would rectify the procedural injustices erred by the PB so as to preserve the integrity of this body.

Another option being acceptance to allow independent candidates run election with understanding that, in places where the PB is satisfied that there were “irregularities” as Pagan Amum admitted, the independent candidates should be allowed to run.

Similarly and in the contrary, candidates from areas where “irregularities” did not take place should be persuaded to reconsider their positions if they don’t have valid concerns compare to those independents using democratic and due process arguments.

(ST)

42 Comments

  • jur_likang_a_ likan'g
    jur_likang_a_ likan'g

    Amum accepts to resign if independent candidates drop off race
    In democracy leadership is from bottom to the top and not from the top to bottom. Allow the people have their say. Behavioural liberation in South Sudan at this juncture is a matter of essence. We do not want to see history repeat itself. Recall Anyanya I Peace period after 1972.

    Reply
  • Oduko
    Oduko

    Amum accepts to resign if independent candidates drop off race
    Hahahaha so called “Amum” Kiir salve finaly accepts to resign !
    I told you long time that SPLM/A gangs will end up nowhere due of their Criminal leader Kiir still practice Criminality within this so called SPLM, This party is the party that always take the whole country back to level zero! we Sudanese people sick of them therfore I call on SAF to kick them out of country with their fake army wings SPLA gangs so that our nation will remain clean and catches up with world devolped nations, the SPLA lost controled already they don’t kno what they doing why not chrush them in next upcoming war so we all Sudanese to be free

    Reply
  • Dinka Boy
    Dinka Boy

    Amum accepts to resign if independent candidates drop off race
    Independent candidates in the South are more than destruction of SPLM( South Sudan). Their intention is mainly to create division and mess in the South, not doubt about that,but this will disable the aim of SPLM struggle.

    There are numerious NCP agents on this independepent candidates interest. Also, some are imposed base on tribal interest,but we Southerners must know that if we need our South freedom,then we should elect splm loyal instead of NCP agents.
    If South want destruction,then they will support independent and let alone SPLM.
    SPLM is the live of all of you-Southerners and this party must be praise than being hunililated by betrayal visions.

    This indepedents must be stop by all means not to contest this year- the year of uncertainities. They must be stop by all means, otherwise calling for our hero Pagan Amum will be another case or unwise decision. Heros must desreved respect ,while traitors or less loyal SPLM must chose their destiny or go to hell.
    Thanks

    Reply
  • Critic_Ngueny
    Critic_Ngueny

    Amum accepts to resign if independent candidates drop off race
    Dear Pagan Amum,

    Let them bark at you but we are just watching at them critically.They have already spoiled their names for they know that this is not the right time for them to make such useless decision

    The are greedy for leadership and I am very much sure about that they are not going to rule in the South Sudan if they don’t make up their minds now.

    Who are they to tell our well known man to resign? Shame on them and their supporters wherever they are. Don’t they know that it was stated clearly by the late John Garang de Mabior that, “If one of my legs or hands wants to be independent;then it must go and it will still come back to me.” He was right to say so and it came about.

    Critic_Ngueny from Bor town

    Reply
  • Critic_Ngueny
    Critic_Ngueny

    Amum accepts to resign if independent candidates drop off race
    Dearr Hillary,

    It is good to hit the nail on the head.Pagan is the right man to make whatsoever going to help Southerners in Sudan .Don’t attempt again to call him a trouble maker.I doubt our Dr.Right and Dr.Left for they have not shown their positions clearly.Bear in mind that they are the ones supporting independent candidates because they want to form their own government after election.

    Critic_Ngueny from Bor town

    Reply
  • majak garang
    majak garang

    Amum accepts to resign if independent candidates drop off race
    I think Pagan Amum,is stupid or handicap by saying that if independent candidates drop off race he will have no problem stepping down.As if he own SPLM/A. well the guy is lacking democratic values.this gang of handicaps are ther to rule by chance.Time has come to toss them were they belong.For Southernes will be well of without them.

    Reply
  • majak garang
    majak garang

    Amum accepts to resign if independent candidates drop off race
    Wellcome to democratic World Poll show that Dr Lam Akol is leading by 51.3%.will Salva Kiir is trailing behind by 48.7%.What you think of that .Southernes are smart People .

    Reply
  • Time1
    Time1

    Amum accepts to resign if independent candidates drop off race
    This is really very stupid urgument and waste of everyones time.

    The independent candidates should not be the problem of south sudan, nominations should have been made on a popularity base from within the party fromt he begining, this is not time for this, Amum should be careful and avoid such confrontations withint he same party, just call this case off and let the independent do what they want.

    If the independent candidate are kicked out of the SPLM, does this avoid them from running for elections? instead it will divide the party more, so just leave them let them carry on with their business.

    Look at the American election, when joe libermann decided to ran as independent withint he democratic party, they left him alone but now they have admitted him back to the democratic party, also the same with other candidates like Nader and others who break main lines and run as independent.

    So it is simple, either fire the independences or just leave them and lets get on with the business and not waste time making stupid rumours within the party. There can only be one candidate from every party, it will be stupid if everybody within the party wants to run for presidency.

    Reply
  • Thomas Taban
    Thomas Taban

    Amum accepts to resign if independent candidates drop off race
    This is not the right time to confuse ourselves. Pagun has done nothing wrong and I think he deserves to be there to make sure the job is finish. Pagan should not even accept to resign. He has played the cards well with the Arabs and have proof to the NCP that SPLM is not coming to oppress the people of Sudan but to liberate them form the bondage. We respect the independent candidates and their intentions to run as independents. If this was the case why didn’t they include this into the laws governing the selections procedures or the nomination process? Should this be considered as a mistake made by Pagan. I don’t think so. How many mistakes are out there that were committed by other SPLM leaders and what actions did we take to correct them? – None.
    Pagan has stood by SPLM and will continue to do that and he is making a good point. If the people of Southern Sudan are saying he is wrong the result will be seen within the next two months. We are just two months away from the elections and if we need to confuse ourselves then that’s alright. Let us go for it and we will see suffering.
    Let us not forget the 21 years of war, most of our leaders and heros who lost their lives, innocent women and children that were caught on cross fire and many other things that have been committed against the people of Sudan. This is the time where we need to stay focused and united for a common goal.
    I don’t support the call for Mr. Pagan to resign. The cost to our liberation would have been wasted and fight for freedom will be very slim.

    Reply
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