Convention

Friday, 08 June 2012 18:00

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JUBA (June 8, 2012) – SPLM Deputy Secretary General Cde Dr. Anne Itto met with party leader Cde Salva Kiir on Wednesday to discuss ongoing preparations to convene a extraordinary SPLM  National Convention (NC).

“The meeting went very well,” Cde Itto told SPLMToday.com.

The SPLM held its 2nd National Liberation Council (NLC) meeting in March.

The meeting came up with some 100 resolutions that included a call for the NC to convene to deliberate on changes in the party’s basic documents such as the Manifesto and Constitution.

Dr. Itto added that she briefed the Chairman on preparations to convene the extraordinary NC, including proposed dates, venue, and anticipated number of delegates and names of individuals proposed to serve in the various committees preparing the ground for the event.

She said that she also discussed with the Chairman formation of SPLM Standing Committees as required by the NLC and focal persons already nominated to prepare the ground for these Committees to commence work, as well as an Ad hoc committee to review SPLM basic documents.

The Chairman commended the General Secretariat for its efforts in implementing the resolutions of the 2nd NLC meeting and preparing for the extraordinary Convention, according to the Deputy Secretary General, adding that Cde Kiir was adamant about the need for good planning.

“We have to organize ourselves well,” Dr. Itto quoted the Chairman as saying.

The Chairman and Deputy Secretary General also exchanged views on the SPLM leadership’s visit later this month to grassroots constituencies, another resolution of the 2nd NLC meeting.

The purpose of the visit will be to thank the people for their support to the SPLM over the years, explain to the grassroots constituencies the current political situation and listen to their views and concerns regarding nation and state building.

Cde Itto said she would dispatch 11 teams of six persons, each headed by a member of the Political Bureau to the 10 States of South Sudan and Abyei for a period of seven days.

“I told him [the Chairman] we were ready,” Cde Dr. pointed out, adding that the Chairman expressed interest to visit some states at around the same time as the teams.

Cde Itto said she also used the opportunity to congratulate the Chairman and President of the Republic for his efforts to stamp out corruption at all levels, saying that stepping up the fight against corruption was a resolution of the 2nd NLC meeting.

Earlier this week, the presidency announced that President Kiir had written to several senior current and former government officials suspected of embezzling billions of dollars in public money to return the cash or immediately.

The President reportedly also sent out letters to a number of heads of state requesting them to assist recover South Sudan’s stolen money.

“I told him this was a very good decision,” Dr. Itto recalled, adding that it was a move that the party strongly supports.

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