Putting the Cart before the Horse: The Case of Political Parties Council Registration in South Sudan
William Sunday Tor
By William Sunday Tor, Juba, South Sudan
Friday, 31 May 2024 (PW) — The Political Parties Council leadership needs to listen to the wise advice of the National Institution, which drafts and keeps laws, including the Amended Political Parties Act of 2012. The Ministry of Justice serves as the legal advisor of the Government’s Executive Organ, and its legal opinions should be respected by any Public Institution, including the Political Parties Council.
The Political Parties Council needs to be aware and conscious about the causes of political conflicts in Africa which occur as a result of power struggles among political leaders, even of one political party, as had happened with the SPLM, which had split into different factions, where some military officials use coup to overthrow the heads of states of their countries, and where some politicians resort to armed rebellion movements.
All these take place because of a lack of real political freedom and conditions that prevent the formation of Political organisations. In fact, the issue of democratic transformation, was among other objectives which forced the marginalised people of Sudan to form the SPLM and struggle for freedom to end dictatorships kind of ruling in old Sudan. Therefore, democratic transformation cannot be achieved without political freedom and a conducive environment for the formation of political parties.
Given the conditions imposed by those who drafted and passed laws forcing political parties to register at least 500 members in every state and pay 70,000 USD, such political leaders are not for lasting peace, stability, and democratic transformation in South Sudan. Indeed, they are not for the achievement of the SPLM’s new Sudan vision of justice, equality, and political freedom.
According to the late Dr John Garang, the former Chairman and former C-in-C of the SPLA, the SPLM was a tool for bringing real democracy to Sudan. The SPLM was for political pluralism, where it was read to compete with any political party in free and fair elections and was confident of winning. Indeed, the SPLM, as a historical liberation movement, was confident that its led government would serve the people of independent South Sudan effectively and that they would feel happy with the SPLM. Then, the SPLM would be strong politically and win the trust of the people.
Political party registration should be made easy, as it is in the United Kingdom and other civilised nations. For example, in the UK, the political party or minor party pay only 150 Starling Pound as registration and not a condition of 5,000 registered members. Furthermore, in the UK, a political party can be registered to operate in local government with the condition of at least three founders.
The political party’s council leadership and those who are supporting the conditions of 5,000 registered members and 75,000 USD as registration fee for political party registration should learn from the lesson of the SPLM December 2013 crisis, which was about Power acquisition within the SPLM, which consequences were destruction of South Sudan and its economics. The political parties Council should not serve as a tool for armed rebellion creation.
The political party reaction is the only means of preventing the creation of armed rebellion movements. The Political Parties Council should know that the number of political appointees and military high-ranking offices and forces who were accommodated because of their armed rebellions against the government of South Sudan, their number is more than those who didn’t rebel.
Therefore, there is a need for the political Parties’ council to review the conditions of registration of political parties, for if some politicians are not allowed to register their political party, they will create an armed rebellion movement to be rewarded with political and military positions as it used to happen since 2006.
May God bless our beloved Country of South Sudan.
William Sunday Tor is a media analyst and anti-corruption and Human Rights activist based in South Sudan. He can be reached at williamtor2011@gmail.com.
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