The Crossroad Politics and Dying Democracy in South Sudan (Part 1)
5 min readBy David Matiop Gai, Juba, South Sudan
Nov 19, 2017, (SSB) – Sadly, democracy dies in darkness in African young nation. South Sudan national political systems discourage us to support the beauty of our diversity within the cost of nation-building. we were aiming to build our country which was cemented and founded by precious blood of our heroes and heroine toward peaceful referendum in 2011 that would have provided hope and blessings principles of strong economy, better opportunities for us, free primary, and quality education for all, justice and rule of law for all, healthcare, or health centres, good roads and secure public transportations, and social developments.
But crossroad politics engulfed dying democracy in South Sudan. The reality of crossroad politics in this nation had rendered the political and economic dilemma where South Sudan finds itself in a double-blind direction because there are no primary objectives and primary purposes of social welfare including public policy, advocacy, migration of citizens from villages to towns, no secure borders around our nation, insecurity everywhere in the country, lack of policy making, mental disorder in leadership, stressful foundation of nation-building on tribalism, and many others. All these political factors defined us as a nation by name, and not really what define nations in the world.
Democracy promotes national objectives if it is alive, I mean if it is (democracy) apply by parties; it promotes inclusivity of why we are a nation. In 2013 before war broke out in Juba, some of SPLM members were complaining that SPLM has lost its vision and they failed to ratify the founded mistakes in the ruling party. We all know democracy which our country needed includes the following:
Peaceful election: where it is an essential requirement for a peaceful and a stable democracy assigned to all nations that exercise democracy. Free and fair peaceful election is not about one person or one political party to work hard to ensure peace prevails in the country but groups of individuals, stakeholders, civil society, and opposition groups work toward one goal of nation-building to ensure that peaceful election achieves national objectives at the end of the day.
Multiple parties: From my own perspectives, multiple parties are political parties across political forums authorized by the state to run for national election, and each party has the capacity to control government and run it alone or in coalitions. Therefore, the pillars of democracy is rooted in dark systems in South Sudan, the multiple parties’ employment relationship are the factors significantly different for multiple- parties because parties are basing their political hope on dangerous trucks of tribalism.
Dialogue: the exchange of opinion, or ideas on particular issues: such as matters pertaining national agendas. Politicians can resolve issues on this forum so that matters arise never reach the grass root levels. At this stage, dialogue provides respect to each other, and true conversation techniques which characterized to convey important information in public speaking to one another in the country.
As I articulated the importance of democracy, crossroad politics put democracy in full scale of total darkness in South Sudan. The road to democracy is inclusiveness, freedom of expression or freedom of speech, respect for human rights and human dignity, better ways to governs, individual liberty, rule of law, and the free market.
The dying democracy in South Sudan has contributed to blocking all ways to national activities. This statement means that in our country, the day is dark and the night is full of terrors elements, no safeguard of truth, and no justice favoring all South Sudanese ways. The darkness of democracy in our country is the slogan of war. Government officials turn their personal disputes into national own conflicts. There are personal affairs and national affairs.
But in four decades of civil war in the Sudan, South Sudanese experienced mental orientation in matters of war for so long, and for this matter they yearned lots in self- government which got started in 2011, and behind the crossroad politics in 213, the war devastated remnants of Sudan civil war into new brink of poverty. Social democracy and national revolution do not want darkness in such politics anymore. The politics of social exclusion in South Sudan makes democracy at the crossroad politics.
At the stage of bad governing, crossroad politics implied on failure to regulate dark money. South Sudanese pounds devalue in the region, but within South Sudan, the same money lost value. Government is the spending and collecting source of revenue, but it produces nothing to citizens. Failure to investigate political spending and both technical and political records in government have no public responsibility and accountability. The authorities lack simplicity to oppose the dark-money law, because of lawlessness governing our money and everything.
In conclusion, democracy is broken. We have lost our rights to vote since the country got independence in 2011 and political leaders missed the target of their political rotations through democratic means. There are now clear anxieties of democracy, war, peace, and politics.
Therefore in all these messes, the rule of thumb is referable whereby guiding star and principles of governing should base on experiences or practices rather than theories. This country need quick determination for practical instructions, practical knowledge, and practical rule although our nation came up a few years ago among the leagues of nations, we have to make democracy alive.
The author is a co-founder of South Sudan Mental Healthcare Organization, (SSMHCO). He holds Bachelor degree in Social Work and Social Administration from SSCUST, Bachelor of Theology from CLT, Bungoma, Kenya/Kalispell, USA, and a fellow researcher. He can be reached at david.matiopgai@gmail.com.
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