SPLM-IO Skip Pretoria Intra Party Dialogue, Government Not Amused

By Jok P Mayom

JUBA, 14th May 2015 [Gurtong]- Dr. Ann Itto, SPLM Juba Party Acting Secretary General said in a news briefing at the SPLM House Thursday that the meeting organized for the Intra Party dialogue was attended by the SPLM in Government and the SPLM Former Detainees in Pretoria but was not attended by SPLM-IO.

“This week, our members of the tripartite committee which is part of the mechanism created in the Arusha Agreement plus that of SPLM former detainees and supposedly members of the SPLM-IO should have all gone to Pretoria for a meeting with the Co-Guarantors.”

She said the meeting was organized by the Co-guarantors who came from the African National Congress, Ruling party in South Africa and the Chama Cha Mapinduzi CCM, the ruling party in Tanzania. “They are the ones who facilitated for the agreement for the reunification of the SPLM.”

“All the three parties were invited however, members of the SPLM-IO did not show up but the meeting went ahead because Riek, our Chairman and leader of the SPM FD signed the agreement” said Itto.

Dr. Itto siad it is this tripartite committee that will help the implementation of the Agreement.

“Riek Machar signed that agreement on behalf of the SPLM-IO and they have been attending the other meeting except this one in Pretoria but what is important in the Reunification agreement there is no power sharing”. 

Itto said according to the Arusha Agreement; the SPLM agreed to have made a mistake and want to unite and undertake reforms, changes in the way leadership os conducted, changes in the organization management of SPLM and changes that would improve the lives of the people.

“Those reforms include; economic, security sector reforms, working to achieve harmony amongst people. That is the essence of the agreement, it is voluntary. It’s not about power” said Itto .

Itto says, if SPLM-IO did not go to Pretoria, may be their interests is not about improving the lives of people or unifying the efforts to take reforms.