Opposition leader rejects Kiir-Machar running mate proposal, calls for ‘triocracy’

JUBA – The leader of United Democratic Revolutionary Movement (UDRM), Deng Vanang, has proposed a new “Triocracy” model for South Sudan’s government, arguing it would be more effective in promoting peace than traditional power-sharing arrangements.

His comments come in response to a Sudans Post story in which Professor Abraham Kuol Nyuon recommended that President Salva Kiir Mayardit select First Vice President Riek Machar as his running mate in the 2026 elections.

“Triocracy [is the] only gateway to sustainable peace than repeatedly conflict-prone running mates deals,” Vanang said in an email to Sudans Post responding to Anyuon.

Vanang contends that past conflicts within the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) show that internal rivalries cannot be resolved by power-sharing alone.

“Had the running mates deals [been] the solution to SPLM internal conflicts, [the] 2013 conflict couldn’t have occurred,” he said.

The “Triocracy” model, as outlined by Vanang, would replace South Sudan’s current presidential system with a parliamentary system based on three equal centers of power, or a “government by three.”

This governance structure would establish an executive prime minister from the majority party, a president of a bicameral parliament from the runner-up party, and a ceremonial president from the third-largest party.

Under this model, Vanang explained, governance would shift from what he described as a centralized and conflict-prone presidency to a shared leadership system.

“Triocracy will not only make [the] three largest parties winners than two becoming bitter losers… [it] shall also provide inclusivity in [the] country’s leadership across [South Sudan’s] geo-political regional set ups,” he said.

Vanang added that the “Triocracy” would foster checks and balances among political parties, reducing factional rivalries and supporting anti-corruption efforts, both of which he views as essential to South Sudan’s stability.

“The proposed system of governance shall undoubtedly as well ensure robust anti-corruption drive and judicial independence,” he said.

Vanang’s proposal underscores a growing call for political reform in South Sudan, where many see governance restructuring as essential to long-term peace and unity across the country’s diverse regions.