By Ayuel Chan (Twitter: @ayuel_chan)
The First Vice President & Chairman of SPLM/A -IO Dr. Riek Machar has announced that he plans to visit Upper Nile State soon to hold a conference in Fashoda County to resolve the dispute over appointment of Johnson Olony as Upper Nile Governor. Since his appointment as the First Vice President in February, there have been media reports that Dr. Riek is under house arrest but SPLM-IO Director for information Puok Baluang termed the reports as “anti-peace”
In his remarks on day five of the 6th National Conference of the SPLM/A -IO, Riek said “I will go to Upper Nile State with all political members from there to hold a conference inside Fashoda to resolve all these issues.”
In July president Kiir declined to appoint SPLM -IO nominee Johnson Olony as the governor of Upper Nile State, accusing him of being a warmonger. Last week SPLM-IO said they will summit their nominees to the parliament, Council of States, State and local governments from Nine States to be appointed. Machar told the conference that “we’ll summit our lists immediately after the this conference and any delay in the appointment will not be blamed on us”
At the time of this writing, the conference was yet to endorse final resolutions. However, the conference is expected to adopt blue as SPLM IO party color, inaugurate a new party leadership for the transitional period, Restructure Political Bureau & National Liberation Council and recommit itself to the implementation of the R-ARCISS.