South Sudan: Machar Calls for Calm, Commends Army for Restraint
27 July 2013
Juba - South Sudan's recently relieved vice-president, Riek Machar Teny, has
broken silence and called for calm in the two-year old country amidst
growing concerns that violence may be looming as a result of recent
political developments.
In a press conference he conducted with local and international media on
Friday at his residence in the capital, Juba, Machar said the challenges he
highlighted have unfortunately turned into a problem, but warned that the
country will not be allowed to head towards dictatorship and
totalitarianism.
Machar was removed earlier this week by the president of the republic who
also dissolved the whole cabinet. Salva Kiir Mayardit who also chairs the
ruling SPLM suspended the party secretary-general, Pagan Amum Okiech, and
called for his investigation, charging him for criticizing some of his
actions.
Many people believe the removal of the vice-president was directly connected
to his recently declared intention to contest for the party chairmanship
this year which would also give him the ticket for 2015 presidential
elections.
Machar who is deputy chairman of the ruling party, confirmed that he had six
challenges he enumerated during the 5th March 2013 meeting of members of
politburo.
These included rampant corruption, tribalism, economic problems, insecurity,
poor international relations and party's loss of vision and direction.
He maintained that such a self-criticism was healthy and should not have
caused a problem.
He however called on the people of South Sudan to reject violence, adding
that such challenges will be addressed peacefully through the SPLM.
Machar further reiterated his decision to contest against the party
chairman, Salva Kiir and unseat him in the 2015 elections, calling on him to
soon call for the party politburo meeting.
The former vice-president commended the army for its restraint and
non-interference in the current political processes in the country. If it
were not for the discipline of the army, he said the vacuum created would
have caused a problem.
He called on president Kiir to form the new cabinet, saying the country is
in a political and constitutional crisis. He said he wished the president
had immediately appointed the new cabinet following the dissolution of the
previous one.
He revealed that he was not consulted by the president about the decision to
dissolve the cabinet, adding that he hadn't seen the president since 23rd
July when the decrees were announced.
In the March SPLM politburo meeting Machar asked Kiir to support him to take
over the party chairmanship in the same way he had supported the chairman
for the last eight years so that he can reform and rejuvenate the party.
Machar said the president had also dishonoured their gentlemen agreement as
running mates during the 2010 elections when he campaigned for the president
to get elected.
SUSPENSION OF PAGAN WAS A BAD MOVE
Machar also criticized Kiir for his party order which suspended the party
secretary-general, Pagan Amum, saying it was unfortunate that the president
mixed up issues of government and party.
He also criticized Kiir's additional order restricting the movement of Amum
describing it as a violation on his freedom of movement.
The country, he said, was heading for a one-man rule and dictatorship which
will be nipped in the bud using the political instruments.
When asked what would be his reaction if the president decided to move
against him by curtailing his freedoms in the same way he did to Amum,
Machar replied "that would be unfortunate".