Don’t Expunge SPLM Party Members! "Unless SPLM Party leaders believe the rule of decrees will be sustainable, expulsion of members is not the best way to impose discipline onto members or the institution." 30 September 2013 By Machien Luoi
(Gurtong 30 Sept, 2013)-While addressing the SPLM Party leaders in WBG State two days ago, the President of the Republic General Salva Kiir Mayardit told members to work together and stop in-fighting within the Party. He assured them SPLM Party will “rule South Sudan for 100 years,” and that they should observe patience and not be in “hurry” because there will be opportunities for all to lead at some point in their lifetime in the SPLM Party. This was a remarkable message and conciliatory tone from the President and opposed to his other remarks which threatened indiscipline members of expulsion. The idea that members who rival must be excommunicated from Party membership is a bad idea. SPLM Party should keep all its members and give them room to develop to be good servants to the nation. First of all, it is correct that discipline in any institution, family and individual’s life is vital to achieve goals and lifetime aspirations. The SPLM Party leadership can rightly remove a member from leadership position, investigate a member who has done wrong to other members or to the institution and may impose other disciplinary measures as necessary, as long as there is true justification anchored not in arbitrary reasoning and malice, but in the SPLM Party system and rules enshrined in its official documents (constitution, codes of conduct and other available materials). Secondly, SPLM Party leaders must not only take credit, they should accept blames for what they have not done well. Due to present political euphoria in the country, some leaders do not want to account for their misdeeds. They resort to blaming others for digressions in the Party or Country, whilst vying to be credited once some good result is achieved. This is unacceptable and selfish. SPLM Party leadership can undeniably relieve them of responsibilities but not to dismiss them from the SPLM Party membership. Of course, such actions have warranty in following the Party principles and constitution. Contrary though, SPLM Party leaders at all levels must be mindful that in democratic societies political parties are the vessels or means for which citizens express their desires for services. Citizens join political parties whose visions and programs concur with individual ideals and society’s needs. Political Parties ascend to power through citizenry consent, chiefly when Political Party’s programs are seen to bring positive transformation to public lives. SPLM Party is not and should not be seen different from this. If the president of the Republic is correct that SPLM Party is to “rule South Sudan for 100 years,” SPLM leaders will have to win through the ballot box in each election of all the 100 years. It will be a daunting task and requires ballots of indiscipline and discipline followers of the Party to be casted and counted. Unless SPLM Party leaders believe the rule of decrees will be sustainable, expulsion of members is not the best way to impose discipline onto members or the institution. Political Party members of any Political Party are like customers attracted to a product. If you ask an ordinary businessman in Konyo-Konyo market today, he would tell you his customers kept him in business. Without the customers his commodities would not be bought. The resulting consequence is the company or business shutting down. SPLM Party must be mindful of this Business - customer relationship in the way they treat members. When members are incorrectly expelled and humiliated, the SPLM Party products, in this case the vision and programs will not have consumers. Just like a customer in the market who talks badly about products of one company and its products while complementing or recommending products of the other, the mistreated former members of SPLM will urge others not to join the party, highlighting the short-comings of the Party. This could change the views of those who would join, hence forcing them to look for a different Political Party preference. Furthermore, a business with large turnover or lower retention of employees is less competitive in the job market and often out smarted by businesses that retain their most important organizational assets, their most experienced and loyal employees. SPLM Party leadership has in the past few months had issues handling rivalry in the Party. Some members are calling for their rivals to be expunged from the Party. This will be a misstep if it happens. SPLM Party members must be retained. As the president echoed, they will have their chances to contribute to the Party later. To conclude, constant firing of workers or regular mistreatment of customers does not make a company grow. Those who are quick to tell others to leave SPLM Party are themselves not working for the interest of SPLM Party. Expunging members out maliciously and arbitrarily without any foundational justifications in SPLM Party principles and constitution will ruin its historic reputation and will deny it the popularity it once had. Unity and reconciliatory attitude should be adapted to resolve Party matters. There is need to retain current membership whether old or young and accord them with room to develop as servant members of the Party and the Country. The author is a South Sudanese, former SPLM Chapter – North Dakota (USA) Chairperson (2006-2008), member of SPLM State Congress (Unity State) and can be reached at [email protected]. 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