SPLM to sue Lam Akol over new party’s name

By Isaac Vuni
June 8, 2009 (JUBA) — In a meeting of the SPLM Political Bureau at Home and Away Hotel in Juba, prominent members of SPLM said the party is not against formation of any new party by one of its breakaway members but that it will legally contest the use of its name by the rival wing.
Lam Akol, a former Foreign Minister, announced Saturday he would found the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement- Democratic Change (SPLM-DC). He informed the speaker of the federal parliament that he would tender his resignation from the membership of the SPLM bloc in Parliament during the next couple of days
Since March, Akol had problems with other leading members in his former party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement. The former minister upholds the SPLM partnership with the National Congress Party as particularly valuable and campaigned in favor of the Sudanese President after the issuance by the International criminal Court of an arrest warrant against him.
Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Tahir, Speaker of the National Assembly, said today that Akol told him that undertaking this resignation would come in the framework of forming the new party (SPLM-DC). He added that Akol is a member of Parliament until the arrival of the resignation.
Failures of governance by South Sudan’s ruling party and its faltering role in national politics prompted the move from Akol, according to a manifesto released recently.
Today in Juba, SPLM figures pointed out that the accusations levied against SPLM by comrade Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin are not a surprise to movement’s leaders. They say they have now started correcting allegations on tribalism, corruption and the so-called dictatorship, and appealled to southerners to support the movement since it has a clear objective of what they fought for since 1947.
SPLM’s Political Bureau will meet for two days and officially issue a press statement tomorrow to all media houses operating in Juba.
Meanwhile, GOSS Assembly again failed to reopen due to lack of quorum; there were 83 legislators, short by six.
The chairman of public account committee of the August House, Hon. Dr. Jimmy Wango Miji, disclosed that Hon. Speaker James Wani Igga has telephoned him from Malakal directing the reopening to be on June 15, 2009 to enable them to participate in the crucial debate.
A political rally was cancelled on Sunday due to the death of comrade Oyai Oyai’s mother as legislators went to pay their condolences to the family.
The formation of SPLM Democratic for Chance (SPLM DC) by Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin is a big bowled to SPLM that ought to wake up from assumption that it commands majority votes of exploited and marginalized Sudanese comes general election next year.
Hon. Wongo, representing the Union of Sudan African Party (USAP), warned that the election scheduled for February 2010 will create more division among the liberators, as is the case with Dr. Lam’s SPLM-DC.
(ST)