Peter Mayen slams Machar over continued SPLM-IO parliamentary boycott

JUBA – The leader of the Other Political Parties Peter Mayen Majongdit on Tuesday slammed First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, the leader of the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), over the continued boycott, by his group, of parliamentary sittings.

In June, the SPLM-IO announced its decision to pull out of parliamentary sittings after the parliament passed the Political Parties Act, which increased the number of members required to register a political party from 300 to 500 in each state.

The SPLM-IO accused the majority party, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) under President Salva Kiir of tempering with the Political Parties Act along with the permanent constitution-making bill of 2022.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference in Juba on Tuesday, Mayen who is also the leader of the People’s Liberal Party said the question of the number of voters shouldn’t be an obstacle for the SPLM-IO to continue boycotting sittings in the assembly.

“Why is the SPLM-IO boycotting what their chairman has initiated? Their chairman was the first one to come out and propose 500 and imposed that 500 in 2009 during the CPA,” Mayen said, referring to the arrangements under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Mayen said the Other Political Parties didn’t ask SPLM-IO to advocate for their rights.

“If they are to say that they are actually sympathizing or demanding favor from minority parties which is in this government, the minority party as per representation and as per elections is the OPP, we didn’t complaint neither did we ask them to help,” he said.

“The IO is not a minority party and we have not asked them to advocate for us, we are courageous enough to advocate for ourselves.”

Mayen who is also a minister of humanitarian affairs said the boycotting sitting in the assembly over a number of voters is “unhealthy and it’s an indication that the SPLM-IO doesn’t have “momentum” to argue.

“We are not against 500 and if they want us to go for 100, we are also ready, and boycotting the sitting in the parliament is unhealthy and it saw that you don’t have the momentum to argue your case.”

He called on the main opposition party to return to parliament and argue their case in a genuine manner.

“My call to the SPLM-IO is to articulate a genuine issue into the boycott and I call on them to return back to the parliament and argue their case in a genuine manner.”