SPLM Liberators’ Corner: Why the SPLM Should be South Sudan’s Political Compass

By Ater Garang Ariath, Juba, South Sudan

Friday, 08 March 2024 (PW) — “Who dare to stand against liberators invites a doomsday unknowingly”. We must disagree with liberators at the closest range, but we must give them utmost respect as we dare to critique their inherited wrong policies of running our hard-won country’s political system.

South Sudan became an independent state in 2011, aftermath bitter 56 years of independence war of liberation struggles since from 1955 to 2011. South Sudanese must be allowed to enjoy the fruits of independence, but enjoying those fruits come with begging responsibilities of being good citizens, always adherent to the discipline and rules as well as defending country sovereignty and democracy.

The country founding political party leadership, SPLM party leaders, especially the senior party leaders should have set role models of holding constitutional and political conference of drawing blueprints on how to govern our newly independent state, but it seemed that we were all blown away by naivety of happiness. 

Therefore, macroeconomics challenges that haunted the country through stagflation indeed need to be addressed at both the institutional and political issues of which, we have encountered in the complicated reality of governance and a series of major challenges on the road ahead to our politically self-actualization as a country.

At personal level, the unity of SPLM as a historical founding political party of this unique and beautiful country of untapped opportunities should be reference points for all South Sudanese patriotic citizens. The unity of the SPLM leadership should always be the organization character of the SPLM and the country must drive its political philosophy from the founding leaders.

It is true experience the political leaders become decisive factors once the party lines and the country governance system are determined. We, must return to our roots, upholding and improving the system of institutions for the party leadership to improve its capacity to practice scientific democratic and law-based governance, adhering to and improving the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the SPLM must be assured.

We as patriotic and committed cadres, must engage the SPLM leadership in peaceful gestures and dialogue to consolidate the SPLM common ideological foundation upon which all people are united and work together for the welfare of the county and its poverty-stricken resilience citizens. Contributing to the prosperity of our nation should be our driving force.

We must dialogue frankly for advocating and advancing the modernization of South Sudan’s system and capacity for governance, which is a critical issue concerning the prosperity of the cause for the party and the country, ensuring peace and well-being of the people. Building robust and effective institutions is paramount for progress.

To build up a more complete stable and effective institutional system for the cause of the party and the country, the well-being of the people, the harmony of the society and the lasting stability of the country should be our political maxim as a party. Upholding the rule of law and centering citizen needs are key tenets.

It is based on this strategic thinking that the party has attached great importance to the institutional construction emphasizing to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, we must, with greater political courage and vision, lose no time in deepening reform in key sectors and resolutely discard all notions and systems that hinder efforts to pursue development in a scientific way.

Nevertheless, with this exercise, we are targeting a rapid economic growth and long-term social stability. It is always better of working together with both senior and lower-level party cadres as strong guarantees for guarding against risks and challenges gaining the upper hand in the changing situation. 

In the intricate and volatile international situation, we are confronted with unprecedented risks and challenges in stabilizing, reform, and development dealing with domestic and foreign Affairs, national defence and improving the governance of the party, the state and the army. The establishment of fundamental institutional system in key areas should be a solid foundation for modernising the country’s system and capacity for governance.

Albeit, we must be aware that some reform measures have yet to be fulfilled completely and others may take a long time to be fully implemented. More importantly, the reform in this current situation, different from the past, is faced with deep-seated problems on institutions and mechanisms, which need higher requirements from top leadership, needs more systematic, integrated and coordinated implementation and is more demanding in building institutional framework.

Efforts should be made to solidify the foundation, leverage our strengths and tackle areas of weakness in order to develop a set of institutions that are well conceived, fully built, procedure based and efficiently functioning. We must earn party’s class foundation and the mass base, which means that the SPLM always keeps a close tie with the South Sudanese people. 

It takes a great party to liberate its people and it also takes it to guide a great nation. The happiness of our great people, South Sudanese people is our fundamental political slogan for yesterday, today, tomorrow and future. If our founding leaders sacrificed their bloods and lives to liberate this country, why not us to be spokespeople of the great majority of our people?

We must uphold the right political direction of integrity for the leadership of the SPLM. The status of the people, South Sudanese people as the masters and the creators of the country and its history and the rule of law must be acknowledged properly. The party’s leadership is the fundamental guarantee for ensuring that people act as the masters of the country and promoting the rule of law.

Principally, the role the people play as the masters of the country is the essence and core of real democracy that South Sudanese both born and unborn are yearning to exercise in order to choose their leaders. Our political leadership of this country must be reminded that “all state power belongs to people”, and putting people and their interests first is the primary requirement for the party to lead the people. 

As young patriotic leaders of this country, we will never forget why we fought for independence and moving forward with resiliency and chest beating is our daily bread in order not to forget the journey we have travelled nor why we had started. All in all, staying committed to the SPLM founding aspirations and mission is to remember the path we have trodden and why we embarked on this journey of no return.

The SPLM fundamental purpose is to serve the people wholeheartedly. Studying history makes one wise and the newcomers should be directed to study the party’s basic documents before arguing or mugging our bush tested liberators. It comes down to all SPLM party members “knowing the history and staying loyal to the party and the country, always caring about the party, shouldering our due responsibilities and endeavouring with great resolve to make the party strong.

Finally, we must listen to the people’s voices, respond to their opinions and meet their needs in a timely manner in an effort to realize the goal of staying true to the SPLM’s original aspiration and founding mission. It is the fundamental approach to fostering stronger public support for the party’s governance, maintaining a close bond with the people is the party’s biggest political strength, while disengagement from the people is the gravest danger for the party’s governance.

Practically, losing public support is extremely dangerous as absence of strong public support will shake the party’s authority as a governing party. The key to fostering stronger public support is to adopt a people centred development philosophy and improve the systems of institutions for governance for the people and with the support of the people, which will secure the party’s status as a governing party.

It is a valuable tool to leverage the leading force of the party and the principal force of the people. In conclusion, the South Sudanese people are the creators of South Sudan’s history, and they are the fundamental force that always determine the future of the SPLM and the country.

The author, Ater Garang Ariath, is a South Sudanese Journalist and Former Secretary General of Defunct Aweil East State, living in Juba, Republic of South Sudan and can be reached via his email: Garang Ater <atergarang452@gmail.com>

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