By Mamer Abraham
Deputy governor of Upper Nile State who doubles as the SPLM State Chairperson, Ayong Awer Lual held an enlightenment rally in Renk County Upper Nile State for the endorsement of President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
The rally to endorse Kiir as the SPLM flagbearer for the 2024 general elections is set to take place in Malakal town in the first week of December 2023.
This will bring together the three states of Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Unity as well as Ruweng Administrative Area, and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA).
According to the office of the deputy governor, Ayong urged the people of Renk County to stick to peace, unity, and reconciliation as they wait for the mega rally.
“Ayong also directed SPLM counties, payams and Bomas to get ready for the upcoming rally since it’s a historical event,” the statement partly read.
The commissioner of Renk County and the chairperson of SPLM in the county Kak Padiet Kak vowed his county preparedness for the rally.
Kiir’s endorsement in the Upper Nile region will adopt a similar faith of the endorsement rally carried out in Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal.
The leaders of Equatoria region are also organizing a mega rally as well to endorse the president as the flagbearer for the elections.
The country is expected to hold elections in December 2024 but a lot seems to be at stake including delayed deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF), dignified repatriation of refugees, census, and permanent constitution among others.
Although the opposition parties to the agreement maintain that the country cannot go to polls without the complete implementation of the foresaid tasks; the SPLM takes elections seriously by giving alternatives that census, repatriation, and permanent constitution among others were not conditions for elections.
While the parties to the agreement seem to disagree on the conduct of elections, SPLM believes that the peace agreement gives an alternative that the people will go by the majority to ensure elections are conducted without fail.