Machar says he is
JUBA – South Sudan’s First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny has maintained that he is still a member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) a day after President Salva Kiir’s faction of the ruling party dismissed Machar and others from the party.
Yesterday, a meeting of the SPLM National Liberation Council (NLC) resolved to dismiss Machar who was, prior to the 2013 SPLM split, the first deputy chairman and replaced him with James Wani Igga, who was until yesterday the second deputy chairperson of the party.
The meeting, according to SPLM Secretary for Political Affairs, also resolved to removed Pagan Amum, the leader of the Real SPLM, as secretary-general and replaced him with acting secretary general Peter Lam Both.
The meeting also appointed Daniel Awet Akot and Kuol Manyang Juuk as the second and third deputies to the chairman.
In statements to the media, the SPLM-IO Director of National Committee for Information and Public Relations Puok Both Baluang who is also the acting spokesman of the first vice president said Machar remains a member of the SPLM party and warned Kiir’s faction against making decisions it said can jeopardize cooperation.
“They do not have authority to replace someone elected during the convention that is according to the SPLM constitution unless the IG is using their own constitution,” he said
“I would [like to] tell the SPLM IG to refrain from such activity that might have to jeopardize the process of the implementation of the peace agreement both Arusha and ARCISS instead they should focus on issues that can bring together the country,” he added
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