Chairman of South Sudan’s National Alliance of Political Parties, who is also third Deputy Speaker Kornelio Kon Ngu (Photo by courtesy)
JUBA — The chairman of South Sudan’s National Alliance of Political Parties, who is also third Deputy Speaker Kornelio Kon Ngu, is facing mounting pressure after a group of political party leaders withdrew their confidence in him and called for his removal from the Transitional National Legislative Assembly.
This came after Kon, the third deputy speaker of parliament, declared his intention to challenge President Salva Kiir in elections scheduled for December, becoming the first politician to publicly announce a presidential bid against the incumbent.
The decision was announced on Monday by Paulino Lukudu Obede, leader of the United South Sudan Party, a member of the Alliance, who also serves as Deputy Governor of Central Equatoria State.
The alliance accused Kon of violating its code of conduct, exceeding his mandate, and making statements that it said undermine national institutions.
The alliance leadership called on President Salva Kiir Mayardit to revoke Kon Ngu’s membership of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly.
“Very unfortunately, Rt. Hon. Kornelio Kon Ngu is violating it with impunity, regardless of numerous efforts to address the concerns peacefully, but all in vain because he oversteps his mandate,” read part of a statement by Paulino Lukudu Obede, leader of the United South Sudan Party, on Monday.
Lukudu accused their chairman of repeatedly ignoring attempts to resolve the disagreements through dialogue.
He said the Alliance’s council rejected Kon Ngu’s nomination as a presidential candidate, stressing that he does not have its endorsement.
“The National Alliance Political Parties do hereby unanimously reject the cohesive nomination of Rt. Hon. Kornelio Kon Ngu as a presidential candidate because he is not endorsed by the Leadership Council.”
He said the political parties condemned remarks attributed to Kon Ngu during a leadership summit in Juba on August 28, accusing him of calling on the Trump administration to intervene in South Sudan’s political affairs and “handpick” the country’s political leaders.
“Rt. Hon. Kornelio is not respecting the sovereignty of the country when he called upon the Trump administration to invade South Sudanese territory to handpick political leaders from South Sudan, like what happened in Venezuela.”
The deepening internal power struggle within the alliance comes as South Sudan continues efforts to implement the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and prepare for the upcoming elections.
The decision places Kon Ngu at the center of a growing political dispute within the National Alliance, with party leaders not only withdrawing their confidence in him but also challenging his authority, presidential ambitions, and continued membership in the national parliament.
