President Kiir is accountable for the failure of
the southBY: Moses Dang Gatluak, WINNIPEG, CANADA
JUN 20/2010, SSN; The south Sudanese President, Salva Kiir
Mayardit, is responsible for the failure of south for good. In
response to the article written by Dr. Thuou Loi
"Pres. Kiir has done his
part effectively," the
situation in southern Sudan will never improve if its politicians,
writers and readers keep hiding facts. There'll never be political
transformation as many southerners expected.
It has been more than 5 years since president Kiir took over the
office, but nothing has been changed. South still facing major
issues such as corruption, tribal conflicts, insecurity, development
failure, injustice, human rights violations, etc and president Kiir
never stand up against any of those so far. No matter what, there'll
be time to unveil weaknesses when south begins to recover from all
it is facing today.
In term of politics, the first priority politicians usually deal
with is life of citizens, how to bring the country up to good
standard. However, in south Sudan there is nothing new done under
Kiir's regime or happening like that. The same situation people of
south went through with North still applies to them under
contemporary administration.
In fact southerners can blame him for incapable leading capacity
or lack to monitor as president who could enforce possible order to
make their lives better. His government from top to bottom doesn't
value southerners the way it seems to be. He himself has forgotten
people of south for good which nobody from south can deny. I believe
President Kiir has many weaknesses which requires change and much
struggle to improve them.
Regarding unity of southerners, every one can relish today, there
are two major areas we can see it work or not, government and local
communities. In these two areas, government can unite itself at
first then unite the whole community.
As mentioned, one is aware of tribal conflicts never rested in
south since Kiir took over the power. Killing among south citizens
is rated high all over, looting, extortion etc never improved until
today. If I'm not wrong those are things that can show unity among
people. I'm sure there's never been legal action ever taken to
enforce unity by him (Kiir). Anyhow the imagination on his success
should sound fantastic, but didn't take place yet.
In the reality, people in south are not united under Kiir authority
and hope will never unite if he's still as president of south.
Besides, government itself has lot of problems. For instance,
governing clique (SPLM) is not united for there is no good
management within party affair. That disarray happened and diffused
all over south because there is no unity on both sectors (government
& local communities).
Instead of its relationship with other parties, it ended up with
war among its own members which resulted to increase disintegration
within local communities. With any doubt, every southerner needs
peace, but hard to get it due to leadership weaknesses.
All blames can fall on him if he fails to track down duties his
government should implement. Another reason southerners can blame
him is, all reports that report to his office can tell him what job
is not completed. Plus many local community leaders always claim to
his office for development fund all over south. If he does not know
or sure of what his ministers do, government can be corrupt as each
of them (ministers) can do whatever they want not what the president
wants them to do.
To my judgment, president Kiir deserves huge amount of blame from
southerners. Yet it is undeniable fact that ministers can carry out
duties, but if each of them fails to do so, president can apply
measurable order to fixed or replace that minister, that is how it
works in democratic nations.
Once again, there are many reasons people of south can blame Kiir a
lot. In democratic countries, presidential candidate can not lie or
mislead community with what he/she is not going to do either before
or after election. What president Kiir did in April election was
absolutely ridiculous and totally against democratic
principle and yet lot of people will never forget in the next 5
years ballot unless the same way used last time apply again.
To be honest, the last 5-year term was really horrible for citizens
of south and let see what going to happen this term under his second
chance in office if there will be change or not.
To compare this situation with the situation people of south were in
before CPA peace deal was signed, there is no difference at all. On
the other hand the same scenario is not even different from how
North was treating southerners.
We are citizens of south whom CPA have allowed to manage their
own affair and treat people with dignity, yet tyrannical rule
doesn't permit us to do so.
With due respect, I can suggest that president Kiir needs to change
this way of corruption. He wants to value south citizens and
implement democratic principle as he said in his campaign. Other
politicians need to practice human rights and freedom rules.
If president Kiir does not stand up against those individuals to
jeopardize his government, criticism will never end till he gets out
of power otherwise he can form smart committee to deal with all the
matters facing the nation.
By Moses Dang Gatluak; Fort McMurray, AB Canada