STAF| The head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Congress Organizing Committee for Unity State, David Yau, has acknowledged challenges in the counties as the party prepares for its primary elections, amid complaints from some aspirants that they face difficulties reaching their constituencies.
Yau Yau said one of the key challenges encountered by the committee involved caretaker county commissioners who had also declared themselves SPLM chairpersons in their respective counties.
“In Unity State, we found challenges in counties where commissioners declared themselves chairpersons of their respective counties while still serving as caretaker commissioners. This was contradictory because we had guidelines from the party leadership that we were required to follow, and we could not tamper with them,” Yau Yau said.
His remarks come against the backdrop of concerns raised by some SPLM aspirants in Unity State, who allege that they have faced threats and restrictions that have made it difficult for them to travel to and engage with supporters in their respective constituencies.
Some aspirants have attributed the alleged restrictions to officials within the current state administration led by Governor Dr. Joseph Monytuil Wejang, raising concerns about whether all candidates will be given equal opportunity to mobilize supporters ahead of the party’s internal selection process.
The Unity State government has denied the allegations, rejecting claims that it is threatening aspirants or preventing them from reaching their constituencies.
The disagreements have emerged as the SPLM organizes its structures and prepares to select candidates ahead of South Sudan’s anticipated elections. The party’s internal process is expected to determine candidates who will contest for various elected positions under the SPLM ticket.
Yau Yau’s committee is tasked with overseeing the party congress and related organizational processes in Unity State in accordance with guidelines issued by the SPLM national leadership.
The controversy over county leadership is particularly significant because local party structures are expected to play an important role in the nomination process and grassroots mobilization. Questions over officials simultaneously holding government and party leadership positions could therefore become a point of contention among aspirants seeking what they consider a level playing field.
Yau Yau stressed that the organizing committee is required to follow directives from the SPLM leadership and cannot alter the established guidelines while carrying out its assignment in the state.
The SPLM National Secretariat directed all party structures to strictly follow the party’s rules and regulations and maintain neutrality in the conduct of primary elections. The leadership noted concerns over conflicts of interest involving caretaker commissioners serving as party officials, as well as security challenges affecting some aspirants’ participation.
The Secretariat called for disputed matters in Unity State to be referred to the national headquarters in Juba for central intervention and resolution.
