Dinka Bor leaders warn SPLM politicians against premature presidential candidatures

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Elisabeth Janaina

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Jun 9, 2013, 5:05:27 AM6/9/13
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Dinka Bor leaders warn SPLM politicians against premature presidential
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June 7, 2013 (BOR) - Leaders of the Dinka Bor community in Jonglei
state have warned politicians in South Sudan’s ruling SPLM against
publicly airing their desire to contest the party’s chairmanship.

Such posturing is "premature" Dinka Bor leaders said in a document,
which was the result of a meeting in Bor on 16 May. The open letter
argued that such maneuvering could lead to the former rebel movement
breaking up along tribal lines and undermining peace and unity in the
new nation.

It is widely rumored that South Sudan’s vice president, Riek Machar,
and the speaker of the nation’s parliament, James Wani Igga, among
others are considering attempting to win the SPLM chairmanship from
the President Salva Kiir, who has held the position since 2005.

Kiir replaced John Garang - a member of the Dinka Bor - after he was
killed in a helicopter crash just months after a peace deal secured
South Sudan’s right to self determination.

Whoever holds the SPLM chairmanship will be in prime position to be
the ruling party’s candidate for the 2015 presidential elections.

The Dinka Bor people elders urged politicians to based their political
ambitions through the SPLM’s institutions rather than mobilising
support through tribal affiliations.

The statement claimed that SPLM politicians from the Dinka ethnic
group - South Sudan’s largest - have “refrained” from “any politics of
deceit”.

The elders urged the SPLM’s politicians to put their ambitions on hold
until the party’s legal documents, manifesto, constitution, rules and
regulations, code of conduct are finalised.

(ST)
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