By Deng Ghai Deng
A faction led by the former Secretary General of the Federal Democratic Party (FDP) has moved to dismiss the party’s Chairman, Gabriel Changson Chang, and the current Minister of Higher Education, in a bold announcement made to the press in Juba on Thursday.
The faction, now headed by Changkuoth Bichiok Reath, the FDP’s former secretary-general, declared him the interim leader of the group after Changson’s leadership was called into question.
This comes after Changkuoth was expelled from the party on November 3, 2024, for alleged misconduct and violation of party protocols.
In a press briefing held in Juba, Changkuoth Bichiok, now leading the opposition faction within the FDP, explained that the party was in crisis and the decision to remove the Chairman had become unavoidable.
He referred to a National Leadership Council (NLC) meeting on November 5, 2024, where the conduct of Gabriel Changson Chang was discussed. This meeting followed a press release by Changson in which he claimed to have expelled Changkuoth from the party.
“On November 5, 2024, the National Leadership Council (NLC) held a quarterly meeting to discuss the behavior and misconduct of Hon. Gabriel Changson Chang. This came after he issued a press release in which he claimed to have expelled the Secretary-General, Hon. Changkuoth, from the party,” Bichiok Stated.
Bichiok accused Changson of acting unilaterally, making significant decisions without consulting the Leadership Council.
He specifically pointed to the appointment of a relative as the acting Secretary General after Changkuoth’s dismissal, an action that Bichiok said violated the party’s constitution.
He added that the NLC found no valid grounds for such drastic decisions, leading to the removal of Changson from his position for sowing division within the party and for what he described as “his dictatorial style of leadership.”
William Obany Otong, the Secretary-General for Membership Affairs, supported Bichiok’s allegations, criticizing the party’s shift away from its original values.
“Unfortunately, the party has strayed from its roots and values. It has become a dictatorship, now a party controlled by one person and one family,” Otong said.
Otong further noted the concentration of power in the Upper Nile region, where key positions within both the party and the government are allegedly held by Changson’s family members.
“Even the Ministry of Higher Education, along with its directors, is controlled by one family. We used to believe that no party should operate in such a manner,” Otong added.
Efforts to contact Gabriel Changson Chang for a response to these claims were unsuccessful.