Response to the “last kick of the dying horse” letter from Hon. Deng Dau Malek’s Supporters
7 min readDiaspora Response to the 28 Members of Twic East youth letter, dated 5th of November 2015 as appeared on the Juba Telegraph Newspapers, This Day Newspaper, The Stance Newspaper in Print Media and on PaanLuel Wël website, the Electronic Media
Dear all,
November 8, 2015 (SSB) —- We would like to take this earlier opportunity to thank our brothers, the 28 youth members who wrote their letter and expressed their democratic right of expression as stipulated in South Sudan Transitional Constitution 2011, articulating their dissatisfactions with the Twic East Jonglei Governorship nominations that saw Col. Philip Aguer Panyang, the current SPLA spoke person in the lead.
In our view and given the reality on the ground (Juba), the letter in support of Hon. Deng Dau was misplaced and the youth members who wrote the letter are detached with the realities and the real situation in the field, and instead decided to resort to propaganda machinery of Hon. Deng Dau or defending a true statement uttered by Hon Deng Dau in exchange for some political rewards or indirectly dishing out cash from his Constituency Development Fund (CDF). The CDF could not be distinguished from Hon. Deng Dau monthly emoluments and privileges since he took over from late Hon. Philip Chol Biowei in 2010, one of our respected and intellectual Giant. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Amen
The fact that Hon. Deng Dau Deng uttered the derogatory statement against his constituency (No 11) Twic East is undeniable since it was said in the presence of many members of Twic East and in a public gathering as testified by many Twic East citizens of high integrity. Our humble request to Hon. Deng Dau is to own up and give his apology to his constituency if he is to aspire for any political or (elective) position in the same constituency in future.
It is not for his best political interest to hire goons who are available to be hired (guns for hired) for economic gains to make this weak and wanting statement on his behalf. It is not a crime in law to own up, retract a statement and make amends, which in our opinion would have been an ideal situation for him, just to save his face and his moribund political future in Twic East and South Sudan as a whole.
The ground for disputing the Nomination
The grounds raised in the letter are weak and wanting. Since the nomination was taken down to Boma level there was no much dispute as claimed in the letter, particularly, in Makir Boma. The three candidates of Makir Boma, namely Col. Philip Aguer, Hon Deng Dau and Juma Arok Maketh went through the voting process and the main contenders Col. Philip Aguer and Hon. Deng Dau drew at 16 to 16 as pointed out in the letter. The part which the letter fell short of and failed dismally was when the third contender Juma Arok Maketh voted in favour of Col. Philip Aguer and stood down in favour of him (Philip) to make the votes 17 to 16 for Col. Philip Aguer and Hon. Deng Dau respectively.
Given the scenario as it was, Hon. Deng Dau had no point to remain adamant and took people in circles circumnavigating (and took people back to Egypt) when he was freely and squarely defeated and knocked out at the Boma level primaries at (Makir Boma). There was no need to take the Boma electorates to Ajuong level, Ajuong would have voted for the three candidates namely Col. Philip Aguer from Makir Boma, Dut Kezekiah Barach from Ngawai Boma and Machar Akech from Makir Boma Adiang section and come up with one candidate for Twic East final election.
The attempts by Hon Deng to take the process back to Ajuong and Ajuong to Makir boma and then the purported Ajuong leadership was just a sham process and a critical attempt coupled political gimmicks and prowess aimed at persuading Col. Philip Aguer to change his mind and stand down for Hon. Deng Dau whom is seen by his supporters as a holy politician who widely and wildly claimed him to be the brain behind the creation of 28 states and therefore should not go unrewarded by the president as he (Hon. Deng) claimed openly in Twic East elections.
About Col. Philip Aguer and Hon. Deng Dau
The two contestants Col. Philip Aguer and Hon. Deng Dau come from the same Boma (Makir) and both of them are political leaders and popular in their own ways. Hon. Deng having served as a chairman of refugees at kakuma refugee camp during the war 1992-1997 made him a leader and he contributed enormously to the welfare of those who were under him, while Col. Philip Aguer was in front line at the time fighting for the liberation of the Republic of South Sudan and contributed tremendously to the liberation of the country.
Col. Philip Aguer also had an opportunity to serve with the relief wing of the movement Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Association (SSRRA) where he saved a lot of lives during the drought and famine caused by war in Sudan in (1997-1999) and served in the areas of Greater Bor and South Sudan as a whole a job, which earn him respect to date as the most humble and servant of the people.
As for the current deployment and employment they are both working for the same government and they are both known in the government, so the question of popularity or not popularity does not arise.
Twic Electoral Committee
The nomination or appointment of the Twic East Electoral or Nomination Committee was done purely on meritocracy and that saw Prof. Ajang Bior leading the nomination process. Prof Ajang Bior being a member or a leader in the Sudan African National union (SANU) does not bar him from being a Twic East citizen or that should not prevent him from playing a significant role in the affairs of his community of Twic East. The claimed that he comes from a different political party from SPLM is gullible and does not hold water it is( non-starter) and doesn’t carry any weight at all.
The same Applied to Mr. Chol Dhieu Chol whom the letter referred to as agent of Col. Philip Aguer, the nomination of Mr. Chol Dhieu Chol as secretary to the committee was not based on any relationship at all but on merit and in any case Mr. Chol Dhieu is a relative to both Hon Deng Dau and Philip Aguer and there was no justification in accusing him of being Col. Philip’s agent. Mr. Chol was later asked to step aside when Hon. Deng made his wild allegation against him.
Getting Zero (Vote)
Hon. Deng Dau after insisting that he would proceed to Twic East level after he was knocked off in the Boma level nomination was given an opportunity and he was a candidate until the voting process ended. He did not come out at any point in time during the process or back down, according to general practice. Always as the norm, a candidate can be voted in, in absentia.
If Hon. Deng was the favorite candidate for the governorship of Jonglei, he would have been voted in absentia as claimed that he was absent during the voting, the claim that Kongor was the only neutral group as they had no candidate is also an insult to our intelligent because Kongor five candidates voted and Hon. Deng Dau still got zero vote.
Conclusion
In our humble conclusion the letter or the petition of Hon Deng Dau has left a lot of water passing under the bridge, he is simply crying over the spilt milk and the petition written to Bor and Duk county to review and reconsider Hon. Deng Dau has no legal legs to stand upon.
Written and signed by:
- Dabek Duot Yak-Greater Bor Community Chairman Nairobi
- David Atem Ayuel-Chairman, Ajuong Community Nairobi
- Alier Gai Awan –Chairman, Pakeer Community Nairobi
- John Malek Kur-Twic East Chairman-Nairobi
- Machar Biar Dau-Awulian Chairman-Nairobi
- Deng Bul Chol- Ayual Community Chairman-Nairobi
- Chol Malou Duot-Vice Chairman-Ajuong Community Nairobi
- Ajang Garang Akuein-Vice Chairman, Pakeer Community Nairobi
- Dut Machine De Mabior-Member
- Mayom Lueth Mayom-Member
- Peter Kuol Lual –Member
- Peter Ngor Atem-Member
- Chol Gak Chol-Member
- Mabior Yaak Barach-Member
- Makuei Kuir Biar-Member
- Kuir Deng Kuir-Member
- Awan Aroch Garang-Member
- Kot Maketh Ayuel-Member
- Chol Biar Bol-Member
- Bul Deng-Member
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