SPLM slam Lam Akol creation of new party

June 7, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The ex-southern rebel group Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) today lashed at former foreign minister Lam Akol over his dissention and formation of a new party.

This week the controversial Southern politician announced that he was founding SPLM- for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC) and directed strong criticism against chairman Salva Kiir.

Akol said he wants to save the SPLM from the “abyss” and said that its leadership are “bankrupt” and “undemocratic”.

“The SPLM has lost support among the masses of our people. Rightly so, because it has lost direction and failed to present a coherent programme in Government for both the South and nationally," he said.

But Deng Alor, Sudanese foreign minister, said that allegations by Akol have been “reused” by him in the past since 1991.

“Akol is an unstable character. He joined six parties since 1985. There is nothing new in what he said. He was a leading figure in SPLM. If he was a truly democratic figure why did he not pose his views inside the party organs?” Alor said.

“Lam Akol is undemocratic and wants to be the number one [in SPLM]” he added.

Alor disclosed that the SPLM was aware of Akol’s plans to form a new party and got hold of the SPLM-DC manifesto.

He added that Akol was confronted with the evidence but he denied it.

The SPLM secretary general Pagan Amum accused the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of seeking to create parties parallel to the SPLM and downplayed the membership of the new party saying they are unknown figures.

Akol has refused to disclose the name of his party members saying he will delay it until the party’s convention in two months.

A member of the NCP leadership committee Qutbi Al-Mahdi hailed the formation of SPLM-DC the SPLM has failed to run the south. He also said that further dissention will strengthen the cooperation between the signatories of the 2005 peace agreement.

Al-Mahdi said that corruption and power abuse are prevalent in the South and described Akol as one of the most intelligent and intellectual figures in the South.

Akol was a key figure at an assembly of southern leaders in April at Kenana, North Sudan, that slammed the dominant southern party for its “poor record of governance” since winning power over the South in 2005.

He was described by many within the SPLM as the “black sheep” in his views that appeared more aligned with the NCP.

Relations between the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and SPLM are increasingly tense as the country moves to hold its first national elections next year,

Both parties have yet to agree on a set of draft laws considered crucial for elections and the South Sudan referendum in 2011.

Furthermore, SPLM accused the NCP of falsifying the census results to reduce the population of the South leading to lower share in wealth and power.

Source:http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article31421