Why SPLM Should Invest Extra Efforts into Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, Slated for June 2023

By Ustaz Morris Mabior Awikjok, Nairobi, Kenya

Friday, March 18, 2022 (PW) — Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in any democratic nation-state are the means to cast ballots to elect leaders especially the president and parliamentarians to different level of parliaments. Through elections, we can hold leaders and the entire government officials accountable, although with varying success. Through elections, we can ensure that citizens’ interests and needs are represented in the democratic process, although not all the time. Most importantly, through elections, we get to exercise our right to vote, although we don’t always choose to cast our vote.

In elections, political parties usually play an important role which is not the case in South Sudan. We have only briefcase political parties that are competing over the resources and create political employment opportunities for their boody families. Sadly enough, most of these briefcase political parties shouting day and night against the people’s revolutionary movement party (SPLM) are not officially registered by the political parties Council to challenge the SPLM during the election process.

The competitive political party is a party that has been legally registered with membership of (15,000-10,000) members country. They should have operating offices in the ten States with their Headquarters in Juba. In this case a political party will be qualified and eligible to nominate and endorse its candidates to compete during elections and ensures its candidates win. Winning an election means seizing power in government. The more seats a party wins, the greater its control over the decision-making processes.

In the Republic of South Sudan, political parties have never reached a 50-50% mark for relevance and utility during elections. Where votes are based on candidates and personalities rather than party principles or ideals and social issues, political parties fail in aggregating all interests and socializing voters to choose on the basis of party platform, ideology, or performance.

What’s wrong with South Sudan political parties?

Since time immemorial, party switching has been common in the South Sudan because most of the founding members of some political parties are fighting for their selfish interests not the interest of the suffering civil population. Politicians gravitating towards the party in power has been a constant feature of every new administration. Is the presidential system of government at fault? Or is the lack of a sense of party loyalty among politicians the culprit in war torn country of South Sudan? What may be worse than disloyal party members are the self-serving if not self-aggrandizing party members. 

If not for the political resources that a political party may provide, why would one covet a political party’s support during elections when political party membership is not even one of the qualifications for an elective office? Even the party-list system is not spared from unscrupulous politicians who run under the system without a track record of advocacy for that sector one supposedly belongs to and represents.

Without conventional politics that is, political parties effectively steering the public space and with the stakes much higher in the upcoming June 2023 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, the alternative is for citizens to resort to supporting “people’s revolutionary movements” (SPLM)at various levels of engagement where they can create popular spaces and mobilize support for Cde. Salva Kiir Mayardit as our only candidate for the race of presidency. 

Through (SPLM)as the revolutionary movement political party, citizens hope to expand the political space available to them and bring in the concerns of everyday life. If they succeed, they can vote into office the candidates that they support; and if they get luckier, they can initiate changes in the structures of power and domination that operate in the system today.

But would SPLM win the 2023 election?

Like social movements, SPLM as a Movement revolutionary party will have another more chance to win 2023 general elections and present a symbol of national unity and prosperous nation dominated by powers struggle and to those seeking a path to power through unconstitutional means. SPLM under the Chairmanship of Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit will offer a ray of hope to hold the government (past and present) accountable for its excesses and consequently, initiate process of social and political change in the country.

Unlike “old and new” emerging briefcase political parties, which are more class-based and sought power, SPLM as a historical revolutionary political party demand democracy and respect to Human Rights. By organizing ourselves now as SPLM membership, we can provide an alternative to the conventional form of politics which is more of a power game.

Hopefully, yes! But only if the SPLM can keep their popular spaces growing in terms of both numbers and significance and attain the scale and strength capable to persuade voters on the election day in June 2023. But how will they do this? Let’s leave it to the seasoned political strategists to worry about this question. Instead, we ask, “What can the SPLM, which have mushroomed in recent months, learn and adopt fundamental political ideals and objectives as one of its guiding principles?”

The framework that will provides useful tips for SPLM National Secretariat organizing for the conduct of June 2023 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections.

1. Build grassroots momentum by empowering states, counties, Payams and Bomas Party Secretariat. Grassroots organizations or local groups targeting and organizing their own communities is the key priority for SPLM to win general elections with landslide victory. Success is likely to be achieved, if individuals and groups at the grassroots level are enjoined and connected both to the SPLM cause and through relationships between the Secretariat and members.

2. Connect people to the Party political activities and political engagement. Individuals and groups must feel that they belong and that they matter to the progress and prosperity of the Party to maintain its strength and popularity. The more they feel connected, the stronger their group engagement is, and hence, makes them feel powerful. When they feel powerful, they are more likely to develop stronger, more certain convictions; and when they do, they become more committed to the cause of our historical party.

3. Connect SPLM membership to each other. This is important for developing a collective sense of purpose and identity, thereby reinforcing shared views and positions. Regardless of where it takes place, either in shared, physical spaces or in online platforms, what matters more is that these connections must happen.

4. Build a network to connect the party to reach optimal efficiency, strong ties (i.e., with close friends) and weak ties (i.e., with distant acquaintances) between members must be nurtured for information and resource sharing. Through the networks and the brokers of the networks, bystanders may be transformed into up-standers.

5. Be leaderful. Movements need not be leader-led or leaderless. Instead, develop a hybrid form of leadership in which multiple leaders and organizations collaborate through coalition building, power-sharing, decentralized grassroots organizations, and collective decision making.

6. Win hearts and minds. Anger, frustration, feeling of exclusion are not the sole motivators for individuals and groups to join SPLM. Combining negative emotional cues with positive messages such as strength, inspiration, helping messages can mobilize broader social support and spur action. 

Moreover, use the power of storytelling the sharing of a movement’s narrative. More importantly, as movements navigate between physical spaces and online platforms, work toward winning hearts and mind through online connections and interactions in lieu of offline interactions. How are the SPLM faring in engaging in these actions? How far are we from winning the 2023 general election? Time for SPLM to wake up now and injected resources to the grassroot ahead of general election schedule to take place next year.

The author, Ustaz Morris Mabior Awikjok, is a student pursuing Master studies program in “Global Affairs and Strategic Security Studies” at the Atlantic International University. You can reach him by email: morrisawikjok@yahoo.com

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