Yiep Joseph
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The government spokesperson, Michael Makuei, told off some critics of the government under the National Consensus Forum (NCF), urging them to come home and register political parties and compete in the forthcoming election.
Addressing the media yesterday, Makuei stated that the new group, NCF, which mushroomed in the diaspora, claims to be representing the majority of South Sudanese although it lacks legitimacy.
“Let them (the National Consensus Forum) come and register their political parties and contest the election; in so doing, this is where we will practice democracy,” he said, adding for any politician to represent the will of the people, he or she must be elected by the people.
“If they believe that they are representatives of the people, I call upon them to come back to South Sudan to contest and let them pass the election. This is the only way you will determine the will of the people,” he said.
Makuei said that by opposing the government from outside, the group is just obstructing development in the country.
In a statement dated September 20, the National Consensus Forum (NCF), which comprises Real SPLM, NAS, SSUF/A, PCCA, SAA, SSNMC, academics and professionals, and SSPM/A, alleged that President Salva Kiir “does not represent the sovereign will of the people of South Sudan” and that his government is “illegitimate.”
The NCF’s statement came just before President Kiir could address the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday.
In his response, Makuei argued that those making allegations against elected leaders like President Kiir are against the people of South Sudan at home.
He claimed that the group is just serving the interests of a few international countries in order to get food on their table.
“They (the National Consensus Forum) are in diaspora, and how are they surviving over there? These are the people who are surviving to serve the interests of others,” he said.
“They are there to serve the interests of the few international community members who are not in favour of the agreement, so these are the groups who are obstructing the agreement,” he added.
Makuei stated that President Kiir represents the entire people of South Sudan and not the opinions of some people with the objective of obstructing peace and development in the country.
He claimed that the initiators of the National Forum are rebels and criminals who have no clear vision for the people of South Sudan.
“These people who defected—some of them escaped for their own reasons; some of them are being looked for because they have committed crimes; they escaped by joining other rebel groups; and now they are calling themselves the representatives of the people,” he said.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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