Oliver Mori Benjamin, spokesperson of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly |File Photo|
By Vincent Samuel,
The Chairperson of the Standing Specialized Committee on Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services, Oliver Mori Benjamin, who doubles as the spokesperson of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, warned the journalists and media outlets against criticizing President Salva Kiir Mayardit following the endorsement rally last week conducted in Juba.
The ruling party, SPLM (Sudan People’s Liberation Movement), on Saturday 25 May organized a political rally for the Greater Equatoria State region, to endorse President Kiir as the sole flag bearer of the ruling party in the anticipated general elections scheduled for December this year.
The rally—attended by a handful of party members and sympathizers—was anticipated to draw thousands of supporters in Juba.
South Sudanese on social media, particularly Facebook and TikTok, slammed the ruling party for organizing the rally amid the economic challenges causing hyperinflation in the country.
Some lawmakers, mainly from the SPLM-IO (Sudan People’s Liberation Movement In-Opposition) questioned why the parliamentarians were silent about the mega rally allegedly organized with funds from the public coffers at the expense of the citizens currently facing threats of looming hunger and food insecurity in the country.
The netizens on social media also blast the ruling party for what many of them termed as misplacement of priorities and misuse of public funds.
Joseph Malual, a member of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly representing SPLM-O, who slammed the rival party for alleged mismanagement of public funds, was forced to apologize for speaking out against the ruling party, SPLM.
The parliamentarians were discussing at the parliament’s chamber in Juba, the resolutions of the 148th summit of the inter-parliamentary union held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 23-27 March 2024, which discussed the Gaza humanitarian crisis, reforms of the UN Security Council, parliamentary diplomacy, and other issues.
Malual was accused of diverting from the motion to address the worsening economic situation in the country concerning the SPLM mega-political rally that attracted the party members from Central, Eastern, and Western Equatoria states.
Speaking to the media shortly after the sitting, Oliver Mori, warned journalists in attendance against reporting on the incident.
“I am warning you that, this is the question attacking personality who is the symbol of the country. It should not be featured in your press, being written or aired on the radio in the country,” he warned.
“Anybody who indulges himself or herself in that, she or he will bear the consequences. I am saying this so that you as ladies and gentlemen of the press should not later say well, our spokesperson of the parliament did not question us,” he added.
“I have told it to you in black and white,” Oliver stressed. “Go in peace and we expect that you will abide by what we have said in this press conference. Anybody who goes out of it, you will know the consequences and I will not be part of it,” he added.
The parliamentarians have been censored from speaking on the deteriorating economic situation in the country. A member of parliament representing the South Sudan Opposition Alliance was silenced during the deliberation after mentioning the plight of people while addressing the assembly.
Moi Peter Julius, a young South Sudanese journalist was shot dead in August 2015 after allegedly questioning President Kiir at a press conference in Juba.
Moi Peter’s death came days after South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, threatened at a public event to kill the journalists working against the state.
This new threat issued by the parliament’s spokesperson aims at scaring the journalists to desist from reporting on the plight of the citizens and civil servants who are living without salaries.
The Minister of Finance and Planning Awow Daniel Chuang early this month disclosed to the media that there is no likelihood that the government would be able to pay salaries to civil servants and the army soon due to financial constraints affecting the country.
