The Underlying Motive for Extending the Office Term of the President

By Gatluakz Khot,

Opinion.

April 1, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — As a saying goes, a small leak sinks a great ship. It is beyond reasonable doubt that the Juba regime has failed in the face of the continent and that it bears embarrassment across the continent. That has left the Government of Juba no other option than to manipulate the transition constitution which illegally extends the office term of the president and hence, the paralysis of the young nation.

As a matter of fact, Juba has not been willing to exhaustively negotiate with SPLA – IO to bring a lasting peace in South Sudan. The fact that the Juba negotiating team kept procrastinating peace talks was ultimately revealed in the recent amendment of the transitional constitution which I call a manipulation of the Supreme Transitional Constitution of the sovereign Republic of South Sudan.

It wholly comes to everyone’s comprehension that the clique in Juba has motives for extending the term of the president as being driven by self-interest to earn a longer time in power.

Extension of Office Term of the President

The president‘s office extension on the false pretense of amending the transitional constitution reflects the culture of the prevailing dictatorship and lack of patriotism and nationalism to sympathize with the suffering of our common citizens. The news of amending the national the transitional constitution was so irritating to the eyes and ears of the citizens both in the country and diaspora who saw and hear of such a disgusting conduct.

It absolutely has become a very unfortunate moment to discern that the divided and ruled law makers amended the constitution out of fear of possible threats to their lives.

That irrational conduct in the assembly allows Juba to meet the demands of Museveni who suffers from the compensation disorder for the gold he exploited in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

However, the anticipation of the citizens has been that the National Legislative Assembly should have referred to Article 103, sub-Article (2) which reads: ‘Notwithstanding sub-Article (1), in case of high treason, gross violation of the Constitution or gross misconduct in relation to national affairs, the President may be charged before the Supreme Court upon a resolution passed by a two-third majority of all the members of the Assembly’ and sub-Article (5) which reads: ‘If the constitutional panel convicts the President, it shall communicate its final verdict to the Assembly, and he or she shall be deemed to have forfeited the office.’ That procedure would be the basis of restoring the sovereignty of the Republic of South Sudan since the president deliberately resorted not to resign from the office despite the popularly known massacre agenda.

Meanwhile, some law makers do not know where and when they should have says. Quoting Thomas Wani Kunda’s statement on eye radio, ‘Amendments of the Constitutions will be illegal.’

It is apparently confounding that the controversial chairperson of the Information Committee warned the State Legislative Assemblies against amending the State Transitional Constitution which automatically imitates the recent amendment of the National Constitution so as to extend the office tenure of the Governors for the same three years as the President. The irresponsible warning speech of Wani against the States Authorities was merely meant to appease the President. Wani should have had at the back of his mind Article 164 (2) of the National Transitional Constitution which reads: ‘Each state Legislative Assembly shall adopt a draft amended state constitution to become its state transitional constitution, provided that it shall be in conformity with this constitution (national constitution).’ to sound well. That would make his speech coherent. Otherwise, his speech holds no water for he was not mindful of what he should have done in the National Assembly.

The untold suffering of our citizens should have been on top of the agenda and not the office extension on an individual’s interest to lead the country he has thrown to abyss.

The current leadership of Juba lies on the physical power where the government becomes an institution of gangs of thieves and wrongdoers, misuses the position and resource powers and lacks personal and expertise powers. There is indeed no ground to stand on and say autocrat system in Juba continues to cause our people more losses of lives when on the other side of the coin they are heading to hell.

It is always imperative to think before we act.

Investing Immense Conflict in Jonglei State

The assembly of Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF), Rwandan Defense Force (RDF), Justice Equality Movement (JEM), Sudan People’s Liberation Army – North (SPLA – N) and Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) Juba with a view to attacking Lol land in Jonglei State is none other than injection of more conflicts and atrocities among the Jonglei citizens.

The attacking disorder the government suffers from is a substantial risk of intensifying tribal conflicts in Jonglei State. In fact, no essence of organizing mercenary forces to go and attack Greater Akobo when on a true account, the Mighty White Army Defense Force does not bother anyone.

Those ill plans and motives are being viewed as lack of foreseeing the future repercussions and consequences in the most diverse state of South Sudan.

Juba must acknowledge that the existence of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) IO among the White Army Defense Force areas is to provide utmost support for protection to the survivors of the Juba massacre. In view of that, Juba should instead seek ways of ending the war it initiated peacefully and not to employ approaches which pose danger to the living of the Jonglei citizens. There will come a time SPLA – IO and White Army get fed up with defensive position and resort to offensive attacks which in one way or the other marks the end of the tyrannous actions of the Government of Juba.

The Jonglei citizens should as well cease entertaining such motives which are intended to inflict hatred. It should be remembered from the practical point of view that stability in Jonglei State means stability in South Sudan and vice versa. Therefore, the citizens in Jonglei State need not be dragged to the current war imposed on by Juba. Time for war will come to past and our conducts during this ongoing war justify our state of stability and instability in the future.

It is time to have our right senses to tell the clique in Juba to stop thinking of a continued war which may eventually put our state in a total mistrust. Our voices are our protection.

Health wise, the temporary hired forces will not in either ways provide any protection to the citizens as it is being thought of. They will rather be infecting the people with HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). Hence, we should be rallying our call for their withdrawal because the rate of infection they will leave in the Jonglei State is much more fatal than the bullets.

Disintegration of the Country

As observed a few days and months ago, Uganda, Kenya and Sudan claimed parts of South Sudan to annex to their maps. That was foreseen by Gen. Dau Aturjong as a looming invasion of South Sudan. Prof. Peter Adwok Nyaba repeated the same in his latest remarks as Kenya Defense Force (KDF) sealed off Nadapal. The UPDF control over Madi areas has been collaborated on by the same Government of Juba. The outstanding Abyei and mile 14 issues had also been remarked on by President Omar el Bashir triggering another tension, but Juba could not fight back since they only concentrate on fighting the brothers on SPLA – IO side.

Above all, the people to fight Sudan should the Higlij event repeats itself are the present SPLA – IO who are now fighting with the hired mercenary troops.

In that case, the amendment of the transitional constitution to extend the term of the President may serve as an extra mile to facilitate how South Sudan disintegrates. That is what the citizens see as a violation of International Law to allow neighboring countries invade the areas known as international geographical boundaries.

The war has been taken as an advantage by the neighboring countries and it has given them opportunity to invade our country freely since Juba authority dwells on intensifying war on the illusions to quell the mass rebellion.

South Sudan under United Nations Trusteeship

Another potential motive is that the quest for the reform by the reformists may be frustrated by Juba regime when it comes to intolerable days that UN resorts to dismantle the leaders of South Sudan.

The role of Juba here is to mess everything up to an extend of compelling the combat intervention of UN. Eventually, the reformists are denied leadership. That makes it better for Juba to give the country to the UN than to give it to the change seekers.

The author is a concern South Sudanese who can be reached at gluakkhot@gmail.com