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“Kiir is confused mentally and physically incapable of running the country"Juba, October 08, 2013 (SSNA) — President Kiir is confused and ill advised by his Legal Advisor Mr. Telar Ring Deng to issue executive orders, which has no legal basis.
The executive orders issued by President of the Republic of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit pardoning Generals Gabriel Tanginye, Thomas Mabor Dhol, Simon Gatwech Dual, and Gatwech Jock Deng and strangely added Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin and Ex. Minister Peter A. Sule marked the beginning of an end to Kiir”s dictatorship rule in South Sudan. These pardons show how the NCP remote controlled President Kiir confuses the innocent citizens of South Sudan. The people who were pardoned have not committed any crime. They were detained for almost three (3) years without trial and the people of South Sudan and the civil society have been repeatedly calling for their release but all the efforts for (3) years were in vain. The move showed how Kiir turned South Sudan into a police State. The Lawyers for democracy in South Sudan (LDSS) wanted Kiir to be held accountable for illegal detention of the innocent people and should be taken to court for human rights abuses, declared the LDSS.
The granting of a pardon to a person who has committed a crime or who has been convicted of a crime is an act of clemency, which forgives the wrongdoer and restores the person’s Civil Rights, but what crimes or wrong doing committed by these innocent citizens?
On executive pardons, Lawyers for Democracy in South Sudan are calling on the President to tell the people of South Sudan why it took him nearly three (3) years to illegally detained this innocent citizens, and whether this is the exit strategy from power by Kiir, or an attempt of reconciling with his own citizens and the President is looking for a bigger pardon from the people of South Sudan who suffered under his dictatorship.
Kiir should know that Executive Pardons on politician are issued days before leaving office, as President Bill Clinton and Bush granted the pardons shortly before leaving office in the past.
Kiir has to quit power instead of issuing executive pardons as the only way to restore domestic tranquility to a nation that had spent two years in political turmoil.