SPLM national secretariat warns caretaker officials against interfering in party primaries
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) National Secretariat says it has received reports of caretaker government officials taking measures to influence the party’s internal democratic processes in favour of their preferred candidates.
Addressing journalists at the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement National Secretariat, also referred to as the SPLM National Headquarters, in Juba on Tuesday, Secretary-General Akol Paul Koordit said the party was considering disciplinary action against officials implicated in the alleged interference.
He said the party’s disciplinary committee had been tasked with investigating the allegations and making its findings public.
Koordit did not identify the officials or the states and administrative areas where the alleged violations had been reported, saying the matter was still under investigation.
He described any attempt to intimidate or take action against fellow party members because of their voting preferences as a violation of the party’s rules and regulations.
“We have also learned that some comrades who are serving in the structures of our caretaker government are taking measures that suggest their discomfort with the voting trend within the party process. This is totally unacceptable,” he said.
The Secretary-General urged caretaker government officials to remain neutral and impartial, warning that anyone found interfering with the exercise would be held accountable.
“We are recording all the violations and actions, and once sufficient evidence is put together, anybody who infringes the will of the people will be held accountable,” Koordit warned.
He added that SPLM Chairman and President Salva Kiir had directed party cadres across the country to uphold the movement’s principles through respect, civility and integrity.
Meanwhile, Koordit acknowledged reports of resistance involving serving military officers who have expressed interest in contesting in the party’s primaries and congresses.
He reiterated that active military officers are not eligible to contest for civilian positions unless they formally resign from military service.
Koordit said the SPLM had faced similar challenges involving members with military backgrounds even before South Sudan gained independence.
He said the party was working to separate its political structures from the military, adding that the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement National Secretariat had received resignation letters from some serving officers seeking to participate in the internal elections. However, he did not disclose their identities.
The SPLM National Headquarters is overseeing internal elections through primaries at the state, county, Payam and Boma levels, followed by the respective party congresses, as part of preparations for the December 22, 2026 general elections.
Upper Nile State is the first to complete all stages of the exercise, from the Boma level to the state level, while nine other states and three administrative areas are yet to conclude their processes.
