Opposition Calls for National Dialogue South Sudan’s main opposition party, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC) has called for national dialogue in a bid to address issues of national development.08 November 2011 SPLM-DC leader Dr Lam Akol delivers a public lecture in Juba. [© Gurtong]By Waakhe Simon Wudu
JUBA, 08 November 2011 [Gurtong] - The party’s leader Dr Lam Akol said over the weekend that quick action will see a swift attention to the numerous challenges facing the new nation. Dr Akol said told a gathering at Nyakuron Cultural Center that national dialogue was urgently needed for the socialisation of the people of South Sudan. “Since the country’s transitional constitution defines South Sudan as a country with variety of diversity, unless national consensus is staged for action, this diversity will remain in words. The failure of the Sudanese state that we separated from to properly tackle the issue of diversity is what landed the country into the perpetual problems we are facing today”, he said. He added that South Sudan has a diversity of systems as pointed out in the transitional constitution, including religion, ethnicity and regionalism. “As we talk about diversity, this diversity must be turned into strength; it must be turned into power that can keep us together rather than divide. Why must we dialogue now? We must start on the right footing. We must have the correct beginning and to have a national consensus that South Sudanese agree on the best ways to rule themselves”, said the SPLM-DC leader. Dr Akol singled national unity as a top question for dialogue with basis on six issues related to good governance; security, supremacy of the rule of law, multiparty democracy, conducive environment for economic growth, service delivery and a strong and vibrant civil society. Inter and intra-ethnic conflicts, rebels fighting the government, multiparty democracy and corruption, Dr Akol said, are some of the key issues that need action at this earlier stage when South Sudan has just gained self-rule. This was Dr Akol’s first public lecture after his return into the country months after proclamation of South Sudan’s independence and national elections held last year. He pledged his party’s co-operation with the ruling party, SPLM in pushing efforts for national consensus. “We are ready to help President Salva Kiir as the opposition to ensure that national challenges are overcome to deliver services to the people”, said Dr Akol. Posted in: Home, Governance -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob?hl=en.
