The leadership of South Sudan’s ruling party, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement [SPLM] felt irritated as one of its cadres turned down the job appointment to serve as a member of parliament in the Eastern Equatoria State legislative assembly.
This came following the presidential decree announced on the state-owned television SSBC effecting changes in Northern Bahr-al-Ghazal, Central, and Eastern Equatoria states.
The decrees were issued by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is also the SPLM chairperson, on Friday during the evening news bulletin.
SPLM’s prominent member, Emmanuel Lolimo, who previously served in the capacity of county commissioner, upon receiving the news of his appointment by his boss [Salva Kiir] to serve as the member of the Eastern Equatoria State legislative assembly on the SPLM ticket, turned down the offer and instead advised his boss to reinstate Simon Lodowuon Macharinyang in his position as a lawmaker.
In a statement to the media, the SPLM Secretary for Culture, Information, and Communication in Eastern Equatoria State, Siro Silvio, said the party leadership was shocked by Lolimo’s action, which he said had created confusion among the members.
The media termed Siro Silvio described Lolimo’s actions as a ‘blatant show of indiscipline’ as per the party’s code of conduct and ethics.
“The party noted with great dismay that Comrade Lolimo turned down assignments given by the party. This, according to the party’s disciplinary procedures, is mounting to indiscipline, especially when his letter went viral on social media platforms, which attracted mixed reactions and confusion in the minds of the people of Kapoeta North and Eastern Equatoria State at large, especially the young generation,” Siro said.
“According to the SPLM constitution, members are supposed to be bound by the constitution and other policies of the party,” he added.
“There are procedures to be followed when one is not ready to take over any assignment given to him or her,” Siro concluded.
The move was seen as an act of defiance. This came the same week the veteran politician, Prof. Peter Adwok Nyaba, criticized the SPLM saying the party does not practice democracy, lashing out at the peace partners for failing to implement the 2018 peace agreement.
“The SPLM was not a political party; it is a military organization, and in a military organization, there is no democracy. Let’s be frank and clear,” Prof. Adwok said on Wednesday while addressing a three-day civic and political dialogue to chart a way forward regarding the upcoming elections.
Prof. Adwok, a former national minister, said the problem facing South Sudan is that “somebody wants to be in power until he dies.”
