NEC had not learnt from the Kenyan experience

By. Dr. Peter Adwok Otto.

It would be better for the National Election Commission(NEC) to handle the issue of results announcement with wisdom and care, absorbing in the process the Kenyan experience which was marked with fraud lesser than what emerged to be a massive embarrassing election rigging in south Sudan.

The systematic involvement of SPLA in almost all the ten states of the south is shameful. Even the silent international community had now acknowledge the irregularities at various levels. The after math of election results against RAINBOW coalition were marked by violence letting to loss of innocent lives. The forced rigging about to happen in Bentiu, Awil, Upper Nile Eastern and Western Equatoria and Junglie states and the independent governor of Central Equatoria, the independent Col. Bakosoro, Justice Yor Akol of Upper Nile State all these are popular people in their communities how can SPLM leadership dispense with them in a popular vote like in the so called democratic transformation practice?

SALVA is in a very awkward political situation either to choose the popular people in their communities other wise his government which may or not form the next GOSS when his position is not yet cleared, because his challenger Dr. Lam is far ahead of him in many constituencies some of which had been bulldozed by army illegal voters. Even the cheating in Kenyan elections were not as forceful as what is about to take place in the south now.

Why Salva is playing down the fact that his challenger is the candidate of the southern Sudan coalition parties, is likely to be a wrong move on the chess board. The military mentality of Gen. SALVA might back fire during peace time. What is actually needed these days, is the coming together of all southerners irrespective of their parties, tribes, or region because of the crucial time ahead for Self-determination which is a challenge for all the south that can not be handled by only one tribe, region or sector of the community. Because if the referendum is haphazardly handled as what happened in the elections with the mentality of exclusivity for others, the result might be like the wind which blows not to the taste of the ships.

Even if SALVA wants to cut out the south militarily, no doubt that he will need the political force of the southern people to mobilize the international community at least for recognition of the new state. It should also be clear and plain to the NEC that if they burry their head in the sand to only promote SALVA’s dictated terms and NCP without consideration of other southern opinions and positions, the reaction might not taste well for both parties. If Angelina is politically molested, the unity state might not rest. If Alfred Lado Gore is molested politically, CES might not rest. If George Athor is politically molested Junglei state might face some upheavals. If Upper Nile or Northern BaharEl Ghazal candidates are not satisfied that they had failed the elections without foul play there will be turmoil. Look at all this what will become of the south.

Let us learn a lesson on what happened in Kenya after election fraud. The international community should sympathize with the southern people who are coming out to say their opinion about their government that had let them down for the last five years without seeing the dividends of peace agreement, not even security the supposedly major benefit for peace is no where be lived.