The political bureau of the ruling party in semi autonomous southern Sudan, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), has started holding a meeting in southern sudan capital of Juba to decide on candidates who will stand for the 2010 general elections on the party’s ticket.
Sudan and southern Sudan will hold presidential and general elections this year.
The SPLM Secretary General, Pagan Amum said,” We are meeting starting (from) today to decide on a nominee to run for the Presidency of the Republic. We will also select those to stand for executive and legislative posts.
“About one thousand SPLM members have submitted applications to the political bureau vying to be nominated as candidates for executive and legislative posts in the upcoming elections.”
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) has ruled out the possibility of Salva Kiir Mayardit resigning from the army to run as a nominated presidential candidate for the southern Sudan government in the 2010 general elections.
Southern Sudan’s Minister of Presidential Affairs, Luka Biong, said that the interim Constitution of the Government of Southern Sudan allows the President to retain the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and that he is free to stand for presidential elections.
This will be the first general elections to take place in southern Sudan ever since SPLM and Khartioum government signed a comprehensive peace agreement in 2005, which brought over 20 years of civil war between the two parties to an end.
