South Sudan Political Alliance Withdraws Confidence in Chairperson
Kornelio Kon
The National Alliance of Political Parties has withdrawn its confidence in its chairperson, Rt. Hon. Kornelio Kon Ngu Akwek, accusing him of overstepping his mandate and making decisions without adequate consultation.
In a press release dated Aug. 31, the alliance said its leadership council unanimously reaffirmed an earlier decision to withdraw confidence in Kornelio and called on President Salva Kiir Mayardit to revoke his appointment to the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly.
The alliance also rejected Kornelio’s reported bid to become its presidential candidate, saying he had not been endorsed by the Leadership Council.
The statement was signed by leaders of eight political parties, including the South Sudan National Party, South Sudan Democratic Front, United South Sudan Party, Communist Party of South Sudan, Popular Congress Party, National Democratic Alliance, Democratic Unionist Party and Peace, Unity and Reconciliation.
The political alliance accused Kornelio of several alleged violations, including what it described as the commercialization of nominations, appointing individuals without consultation with member parties and favoring members of his own party in political positions.
It also accused him of nominating relatives, friends and individuals without established political affiliations to positions designated for alliance parties.
The leaders further alleged that Kornelio had threatened to replace appointees who failed to meet his personal or family demands and accused him of imposing a 20% deduction from parliamentary members’ salaries for personal use.
The statement also criticized comments attributed to Kornelio concerning the National Security Service headquarters, saying political opposition should be conducted constructively and should not celebrate the destruction of government institutions.
The alliance said Kornelio had also questioned the status of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) as a political party, arguing that the determination of party status should be handled through the appropriate political institutions.
The leadership council further cited Kornelio’s call during a leadership summit in Juba on Aug. 28 for the resignation of National Elections Commission Chairperson Prof. Abednego Akol as one of the reasons for withdrawing its confidence.
The alliance described the alleged conduct as inconsistent with its 2014 Conduct of Business Regulations, as amended, which it said are intended to promote ethical, transparent, democratic and peaceful political engagement among member parties.
The leaders said they had attempted to address their concerns through peaceful consultations but accused Kornelio of continuing to exceed his mandate.
In its resolutions, the alliance said correspondence issued by Kornelio in his capacity as chairperson should no longer be regarded as representing the views of the National Alliance of Political Parties.
The group also called for the removal of political parties that joined the alliance after the signing of the 2018 peace agreement, arguing that parties that were not signatories to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan should not be part of the alliance.
At the same time, the alliance reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the 2018 peace agreement and supporting efforts to hold elections on schedule.
