Is Somebody Slowly and Surely Killing the
SPLM/GOSS?
By
Dominic Woja Maku
April 17,2008
Immediately following the GoSS announcement
that it will not participate in the national
census that flopped, many reactions came
from numerous sources, some condemning the
decision, but others applauded it. Despite
the prior prescribed reasons many have
rushed to blame the GoSS and the SPLM party
for their drastic last minute decision not
to carry out the census exercise.
However, given the crystal clear reasons the
GoSS had provided (the IPDs who are stuck in
the north and elsewhere, and other
compelling reasons), a prominent Sudanese
Minister arguably lambasted the SPLM for not
seeing the consequences that might arise
from the decision taken by the GoSS. I quote
from the SouthSudanNet as reported by the
Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on April 17, 2008.
"The census was approved by the Sudanese
presidential council in line with the accord
signed by the government of Sudan and the
SPLM in 2005," Sudan News Agency (SUNA)
quoted Minister of State at the Ministry of
Information and Communication Kamal Ebeid as
saying.
"The movement will be fully responsible for
possible failure of the accord, " he warned.
"History will never forgive the movement for
committing such a mistake against the people
of Sudan.
"The day will come when the people hold the
SPLM accountable for all of its mistakes,"
the minister asserted.
"The position of the movement against the
census was no surprise given its former
numerous grave mistakes," he pointed out.
"The position reflects an internal struggle
within the movement which lacks
institutionalism and does not respect its
leaders," Ebeid underscored.
Yes, the above lengthy quote came from the
mouth of a prominent Sudanese Minister as
reported by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
Now what exactly did the minister mean in
his statements above?
Well, as the days roll by many politicians
(inside and outside of the SPLM/GoSS) are
grappling with what is going on and who is
doing what, why, how, and when?
Many scholars and academics (indicts and
edicts) would argue that what the NCP and
its politicians are doing right now is
playing macro politics in order to push the
SPLM to internalize the political landscape
in the Sudan to the detriment of the SPLM's
micro political structures.
In other words, the NCP and it political
ideologues are trying to create a political
underdog in the SPLM so that they can
justify how they can suffocate the
guinea-pig up right in front of the SPLM
officials, and the whole world can do
nothing but just observe.
Now
let's focus on the minister's last
sentence from the quote: "The position
reflects an internal struggle within the
movement which lacks institutionalism and
does not respect its leaders," Ebeid said.
Alright, is it true that the SPLM as a
political party lacks institutionalism?
Experts on political institutionalism would
say no, the SPLM actually has institutions
fit enough to operate as any other political
party would in the world, be it in Northern
Sudan or elsewhere in Africa. It sounds
good, but many political analysts would
scrutinize the SPLM internal structures and
suggest that perhaps the good officers in
the party take a second look and re-examine
whether the political structures of the SPLM
are actually functioning.
The minister might be pointing his finger at
something he has seen that the SPLM
officials did not, or can not see. Are there
individuals who are slowly and surely
killing the SPLM party from within?
It
would be a naive thing to do if some
elements within the SPLM and the GoSS take
the minister's accusations "blames" as he
has suggested lightly. What is very
important at the moment is for the GoSS and
the SPLM to strengthen the the institutional
structures by staffing the political bureau
with the best brains (well informed and can
not easily be toasted around like eggs for
breakfast).
As you all know in politics, a rat cannot
wrestle with an elephant.