Statement from the SPLM chapters in the Gulf region on lifting of Pagan Amum's immunity

From sudaneseonline.com

Press Releases
Statement from the SPLM chapters in the Gulf region on lifting of Pagan Amum's immunity
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Jul 12, 2008 - 8:26:52 PM

The SPLM supporters and Sudanese People at large were dismayed by the unilateral and unconstitutional decision taken by the Sudanese President Omer Beshir to lift immunity of Cabinet Affairs Minister and the SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum Okech.

The SPLM chapters in the Gulf region condemn the decision with strong terms possible.

Ahead of potential move of the ICC, it is apparent that the influential elite of the National Congress Party (NCP) unleashed their anger against the SPLM by targeting its Secretary General. The targeting of SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum could also be interpreted as a sustained effort to abort the existing partnership, which came into light in the wake of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

The NCP move was triggered by the following:

To distract attention of the SPLM leadership from focusing on the implementation of the CPA and realisation of transition to democracy.
To embarrass the SPLM in person of its Secretary General Pagan Amum, who is already preparing to relinquish the ministerial post to discharge the party's functions. It is an attempt to score a trivial political victory that the NCP has removed Pagan.
Beshir's decision to lift Pagan's immunity is a blatant violation of the CPA. He did not even bother to inform First Vice President of Sudan and the SPLM Chairman, General Salva Kiir Mayardit. Kiir and Pagan learnt about the Beshir's decision from the press.
The move comes at a time the country is facing unprecedented move, as the ICC braces to issue arrest warrants against the NCP top brass.
Such a move was taken by the NCP leadership to blackmail the SPLM: should the ICC go ahead with arrest warrant against its top brass, the NCP can torpedo the CPA.
The SPLM supporters reiterate their full support to the SPLM leadership to put an end to the ploys of the NCP.
Pagan was singled out to test the will of the SPLM, whose recent convention in Juba overwhelmingly elected him as a secretary general.
It is an attempt from the NCP to silent the prominent and vocal figures in the SPLM.

The SPLM chapters in the Gulf region