Vote for Salva, Vote for Change, is it a Joke?

By Nhial K. Wicleek

March 19, 2010 (SSNA) — On my spare time I ventured into pictorial site of the SPLM located on their website. I was just lodging simply to view the newly uploaded pictures because picture worth a thousand words. It is not just something that I recently started; I daily give myself a time even in my busy hours, so that I don’t miss to see what picture is posted. 

While still doing the same thing like usual, I came across something that caught my attention and paused for five minutes. Not only because I was thinking of what to do, but also it was surprising to see such an important thing and how it is put to consideration by the SPLM campaign team in the Upper Nile State. My argument will heavily concentrate on the poster such as the one standing on the Street of Upper Nile with such Slogan in the above.

Politically, politicians are daily aware of political pitfalls to further avoid failure and a loss of supporters. Politicians always confirm the right words to use, where to go, and who to target so that their campaigns don’t end in abyss. They often tend to ensure that everything is perfect so that successful win is guaranteed. They also, tend to distant away from shortcoming to further gain the interest of public as they pretend to be the right people for the job. These include posters to use, proposals to work on if likely elected, and who would be the ones to serve when elected. 

But, when I saw this poster with the slogan “Vote for Salva, Vote for change,” I laughed for my interpretation yielded viable reasons why both of these slogans should come to use separately. Firstly, the slogan “Vote for Salva,” should be rightly regarded the best for it is well thought. The reason is that, southern Sudan is in transition for a possible secession. To avoid chaotic situation, southern Sudanese should think carefully, and that thinking should in all time be to bring back to power our President Salva Kiir Mayardit. 

Southern Sudanese should let him complete his task, and only provide necessary support needed for him to reach the unlikely goal. To minimize fronts, southerners will only focus their attention on bringing Kiir back and continue forward to laying a necessary foundation a head of referendum for an independence state. Despite every irregular action made by the leadership over the past few weeks, Vote for Salva alone is a great slogan to use.

However, like I mentioned earlier that politicians need to be careful when planning their campaign posters and strategies that should bring them to power is because I have seen this irrelevant poster with such slogan. The slogan “vote for change,” has contextually represented indecisive thinking and lack of strategizing the upcoming campaign situation. If put to American situation Room where, Wolf Blitzer reports live stories, it should be laughable to some extent because it is not the way it should look like. Also it should be considered premature because if campaign strategists don’t put effort to screening things like these that mean election and campaign procedures are lacked. From there immaturity of our politicians would topple and so the story would have different meaning. 

Frankly speaking, I don’t know why SPLM in Upper Nile consider using this slogan. Not so long ago, Dr. Lam Akol launched his party with headquarter in Khartoum. His ambition still currently is, is to bring change to southern Sudanese. On the list were security failure throughout the south Sudan, eradication of nationwide corruption, creation of developmental programs, delivering services to southern Sudanese, and fighting the nepotistic system that select people on the basis of relationships and other forms of malpractices e.g. bribery, taking the advantage of women to secure jobs e and many more.

Also, reorganizing political system by introducing a policy mechanism to southern Sudanese was part of the list which narrowed it to the term CHANGE. Today, change which is widely spoken should not be seen as one among the slogans of the SPLM mainstream. It uses should be questioned not only because it may be considered as plagiarizes, but also the multitude whose value is needed in term of supporting SPLM should be swayed.

The following are the reasons why it should be so: first, as an SPLM party has been irresponsive in handling feudal issues. These ranges from selection of the candidates, lack of putting to consideration land grabbing issue, intimidation of other parties to render multiparty system, and other forms of mischievous issues, are the things that will unravel the future progress of the party. Inclusively, anyone who knows how political failure comes about; he or she knows that the likelihood of SPLM survival is questionable. If there is no further re-structure to be made, survival of the SPLM under our said President Kiir is greatly doubted. 

I cannot invite Lou Dobbs, to hold a talk show on the issues such as the above mentioned words for he might place is radical view on them. But, still we are the Lou Dobbs of southern Sudan too because we will never get silence to echo such things to public. I guess, south Sudan future success is not in the hand of group of some cliques such as ones in political Bureau, it is a nationwide phenomenon to help construct a successful nation. Oops, not to go off topic. 

So, to make the story short, the Slogan Vote for change, has a lot to be discussed, should political Bureau sit and rethink on. It aims is to promote Dr. Lam Akol’s campaign in the State of Upper Nile. There is nothing wrong to provide any reason why it is erected in that part of the region like it is. But, the SPLM secretariat should know that people know what change is all about in contrary to vote for Salva. I think there is no overlap in this two separately used slogans erected with one poster. And if that is not the case, that mean SPLM mainstream consider Democratic Change of Dr. Akol to lead in the State of Upper Nile.

However, it is not a wrong choice too, for Dr. Lam, is a Southerner who deserves to gain momentum in that part of the region. If SPLM campaign team don’t work for the failure of President Salva Kiir in Upper Nile State, then remove that poster with Vote for Change on it so that Vote for Salva remains standing before the Aprill 11th poll approaches.   

Nhial K. Wicleek lives in Canada. He can be reached at: [email protected]

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