By Abraham Majak Makur
JUBA – As a tradition and in the civilized world,, speculations exist, and are everywhere such as America, Europe, and other continental political arenas. The difference with us in the advanced world countries, is that the speculations are based on informed decisions and in accordance with campaign promises. This also considers and looks at the personalities so that they are selected based on their credentials, which is not the case with us in Africa and South Sudan in particular.
For the case of South Sudan, it is a different thing altogether and it is unnecessary to raise or emphasize here!. The essence of speculations in politics is that they serve as food of the day – meaning to pass time. Speculations are brought about by well connected personalities such as the activists, the lobbyists, journalists, the circle of the leadership and political diehards. The rest are based on hearsays and from gossipers of first class. These are the sources of speculations. These people must also be those who know how the system works and by using that, they predict the outcomes of the brewing political moves!
For the last two weeks and maybe it would continue to spark mixed reactions, before it concludes, such speculations have been very wild: some carried with them reflective aspirations and others went as far as even debasing politics to its fullest. It is very unfortunate that the political system in South Sudan provides unwelcoming virtue of knowing everything before the big day!
This vice will continue to weaken the leaders, in their endeavours to choose the right people because speculations tend to intimidate and make them work under duress which is too bad for the country.
In politics, it is also good to assess the ability and patriotism of the leader in terms of his dealing with people. It is a twofold strategy, the people you work with determine your political fate and sustainability. Leadership is evaluated and determined by the people you choose to work with. As I write this note, party loyalty is not the issue now and, the issue is not even competence but the interests to support the well placed elites to the disadvantage of the poor. This means our citizens would continue to suffer as a result of providing an opportunistic system in the country. The SPLM leadership should work to erase that vice, otherwise, it is entrenching its roots to unimaginable depth.
However, the speculations of who to come and who to miss remains the same but the difference is that who to command the unison support or acceptance by the people. It is this path now that determines the departure point, whether to continue supporting the cause or you remain a neutral activist for that matter. Missing out of the political race within a political party is not a problem in my opinion but the problem is when you become the target of wild speculations by the elements behind the curtain for no good reasons.
These elements behind the curtain should not use the very system to fight others by proxy, as that would not work and could be resisted and defeated by all means. Their bragging to work as the driving force is indeed realised to be detrimental as this political season is concerned. Those behind the curtain must know that politics is a complex game, there is no guaranteed victory. What is required is to be reflective of the aspirations of the people and do what is right for the country.
For your information, don’t fight us behind the curtain, some of us are there also to counteract and preempt your moves, for we are not sleeping as we are aware of those attempts to relegate and remain elusive. At the personal level, I have resolved not to leave under elusive leadership; I have decided to remain a liberal purity of my own and to work with the people that share the same sentiments with me.
We hope the SPLM leadership under our able leader, H. E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, would not succumb to debasing of this politics but to continue shaping the SPLM to remain committed to promotion and usage of meritocracy to choose the right leaders at all levels for the betterment of our country and her respective States, Counties, Payams and Bomas!
Finally, the debasing speculations should come to an end, South Sudan is bigger than our petty interests. Use merits to choose those you want to serve as required by the SPLM’s codes and warn those playing it behind the curtain to disadvantage others to stop it, they are not everything and they have done nothing even.
The National leadership and the Governors should hold their cards to their chests, otherwise, the brewing wild speculations have already created mixed reactions and slowly generating their losing of grounds as a result of their handling of selection criteria. These wild speculations are debasing the political arena to its fullest.
A calm see does not make a skilled sailor. With this comrades, you need to show your competence at these critical times to choose the best teams as to reflect the people’s aspirations in the country and at all levels!
South Sudan Oyee!
SPLM Oyee!
The author is a former minister of physical infrastructure of the defunct Eastern Lakes state and a police activist. He can be reached via: gadmakuur@gmail.com or gadmakuur@yahoo.com
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