By William Madouk
A top Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party member teases political parties to either voluntarily contest the 2024 election or withdraw from the process.
Mr. Lual Achuek who is SPLM party advisor said there is sufficient time for preparation to conduct free, fair, and peaceful elections.
“May I also remind our people that contesting for the election is voluntary? Those who want to compete are free. Those who don’t want to, they are also free not to,” Achuek said.
He made this remark during the swearing-in ceremony of the SPLM national advisors, secretaries, and deputy secretaries at SPLM House on Wednesday, officiated by President Salva Kiir.
With one year, three months, and 17 days left for the conduct of the general elections in December 2024, Cde. Achuek said the elections going to be a win-win situation for President Kiir as his opponent seemed to be dragging their feet.
“One of the leading indicators in your situation, comrade chairman, is that one of your potential competitors—I would say, competitors—has already voiced their opposition to holding elections in December 2024,” he noted.
“As far as the economy is concerned, this is already a leading indicator that you will not have a major challenge facing you. Those who want the challenge are free to withdraw from elections,” he added.
Mr. Achuek said in 100 days they would prepare a document called the SPLM Strategic Policy Framework for the second decade of the independence.
The document, he said, will provide manifestos for the president, urging other members who are contesting for the presidency to prepare theirs.
It will be given to advisors and the secretary general in order to be ready for the leadership and be approved by the political bureau, he said.
Mr. Achiek revealed that they will prepare a retirement package for the SPLM senior cadres and all those SPLM members who participated in the liberation struggle.
“The final document and action is that we intend to establish groups such as the SPLM Economic Policy Group, the SPLM Foreign Policy Group, the SPLM Social Policy Group. Those groups will prepare the policies to be implemented by the SPLM government. This is a pledge, comrade chairman that we commit to doing,” he said.
However, SPLM-IO leader, Dr. Riek Machar, had already expressed reservations over the December 2024 elections.
Dr. Machar cautioned that any attempt to hold an election under the current situation would lead to unfair voting and a crisis.
He said security should be handled first before the country proceeds with the election.