By Taban Henry
A political analyst and a lecturer at the University of Juba Mr. James Boboya urged Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Government (SPLM-IG) party to stop investing their interest to the public rather than to participate in the implementation of the peace agreement.
Analyst Boboya said that the ruling party should halt being crafty in taking the issues of the peace agreement into investing their time in mobilizing party members.
Early this week, SPLM-IG received a delegation from the SPLM National Secretariat in a bid to woo members to extend President Salva Kiir’s rule in the anticipated 2023 elections.
The lecturer stated that if the party (SPLM) wants to prove that they are the legitimate party and they are the signatories to the peace agreement, this energy of mobilizing members should be in line with the implementation of the peace agreement.
He further stressed that it’s a shameful act when you see political party organizing and mobilizing their cadres, spending a lot of public funds and their own policies of service delivery is dying in their backyard.
“The health services are dying, education system in the country is dying, teachers are not being paid, university professors are not being paid well, universities are unable to perform well, secondary and primary schools are unable to perform well, schools are closing day after day the security services. The private sector strives according to their own will because they are being over taxed,” Mr. Boboya said in a telephone interview.
Similarly, the political analyst said that he expects the SPLM party to start mobilizing people towards addressing national interest.
He said that seeing people putting on red clothes jubilating, coming with empty stomachs, let’s talk about a hungry country there is no food for the public.
“I think the SPLM should rethink the way they are doing their activities in this country, because most of its members are not even members that are within the agreement, they only want to get something from this mobilization and that is a temporary employment when it comes to political engagement,” Boboya pointed out.
In the same way, the analyst said that it’s worthy for the ruling party to start mobilizing and engaging the public, but they are engaging the public on wrong things; citing issues like road constructions have not been completed, they need to focus on those issues.
He said, he is not sure of elections as long as the peace agreement have not been implemented, civil servants are not getting their pay, and the crude oil have been sold up to 2027. Stating that, the international community is not willing to provide support, even the parliament will not be working on the will of the people for the bills to be passed, and discussing about election is a public talk.
“The SPLM has a vision of bringing peace and tranquility to South Sudan the energy they are spending in mobilizing the public would have to be the same energy they would have used to mobilizing communities not to fight” he stated.
He emphasized that SPLM should commence consultation, consensus, consideration of different diversities in terms of participation and cohesion, adding that there is a panic to the SPLM that if they did not do the mobilization, they are going to lose during the elections.
In conclusion, the analyst cautioned the ruling party, saying why are they panicking while there is no political party like SPLM in South Sudan.
“Citizens have to be very careful when they are being engaged with political parties in South Sudan. It’s not time of joining the political parties because you are hungry but should know what are the ideology of each party, by doing so what will that particular party do for you your community and South Sudan as a whole,” he stressed.