President Kiir 2015 reelection trail strategy must addresses key issues By Ater Garang Ariath As political preparations are underway to label grounds for potential political competition comes 2015, in the anticipated first ever South Sudanese general elections, President Salva Kiir Mayardit as he also maintains keen interest to remain on South Sudanese political helmet must involve youth in his administration. He must work hand in hand with his political allies and strategists to use viable political avenues to revive almost diminishing flying Sudans People Liberation Movement (SPLM) popularity in the eyes of South Sudanese populace. Kiir would also work wonders if he considers youth and pressure groups in his political preparedness to remain as South Sudanese President, till he will hand over the leadership to the next leaders. The leaders of his choice, who may in turn work with him after retirement in terms of giving advices as statesman. However, a road to reelection may be tougher and tougher, but possible, if he really commits strong approaches to wins the hearts of disparate special interest group, traditional leaders, youth, women and conservative leaders within South Sudanese societies who are desperate to see absolute changes within government system. President Kiir success for another good term ahead of him entirely lies at hand, dictated by two conditions whether to crush or leave it alive, the choice of scoring expensive goal is upon him and his close political allies within and outside the party system and government. He reassured what it means to be President of a nation in recent days, but the social fiber that led him to had landslide victory in 2010 Sudanese general elections is worry losing control. Due to lack of tangible pragmatic approaches to address key priorities that South Sudanese suffer from. South Sudanese in reality are ready prepared to cast their votes for the evil they known, over angel that they dont know and history will tells as the time approaching, starting with SPLM national convention which pending due to political disagreement for the chairmanship, who ultimately carry the party flag-bearer for Presidency in 2015 reschedule elections. President Kiir recent tour to all the states of Greater- Bahr El Ghazal region as well as plan underway to visits the other remaining two regions of Greater Upper Nile and Equatoria has earned him good forward to reinstated leadership dimension of persuasive skill. The first ever public tour and rallies he held explaining reason why he opted to downsize the previous government as well as having temporary contracts with the current cabinet, and if they are not deliver within three months period, they will soon shown the cabinet exist doors. Tells reassurance of leadership persuasive skill that President Kiir never exercises all along started from CPA period to an independence country. During his speech at Mapel, while launching DDR training facilities earlier on this month, Kiir told an enthusiastic crowd that his lean cabinet formation came as an answer what South Sudanese majority has been yearning for donkey years. I quoted , I have entered into an agreement with this new cabinet so that after every three months, we evaluate them as well as they report to me what they have achieved and what to be achieve, nevertheless, I will test South Sudanese one by one till I find right people that want to deliver, unquote. But one thing remain unanswered, marginalization of youth in decision making process remain as huge challenge to President Kiirs administration that need to be address, and worsen by high rate of unemployment among youth in the country. Which I think as South Sudanese concerned citizen will create negative gap between President and youth which make the large population of the countrys electorate. The private sector and humanitarian works in the country are firmly preoccupied and controlled by the foreign nationals, who will be having no political voice comes 2015 general elections. However, President Kiir and his reluctant Advisors should think double and work miraculously to bring desperate youth in to their political shields, otherwise potential candidates vying for the highest country seat will use it as dagger against President Kiir extended wish for reelection. The good news is; the national Ministry of Youth , Culture and Sport on Friday 27/09/2013 has presented a national youth policy to the Council of Ministers , of which they unanimously endorsed that policy and pass it to the national legislative assembly for further deliberations. Of course, the parliament will pass it to President for an assent. President Kiir should assent this policy immediately when it reaches his office, because, this policy will act as legal framework, which the Ministry will use for reorganization of youth across the countrywide. But we need political will behind this policy so that youth problems are highly address by the government and shape them for future leadership. Yeah, I fully concurred with Michael Makuei , the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, when he described youth as an useful arm of nation, that need great attention to resolve challenges facing them after they return from countries, where they have been during the years of protracted civil war in the country. They youth in fact return with different cultures and political orientations that need to be harmonize to march with the environment of South Sudanese societies and politics, which also need relentless commitment within leadership to lay down the foundation of the country National Youth Alliance or Union, which does not exist currently. Lack of national youth body has created vacuum of coordination among the youth and leadership of this country, frankly speaking. As the youth constitute 70% country population, President Kiir administration should go extra-miles to boost literacy campaign by strengthening higher education and general concurrently, to wins the hearts of school going students, who are hunger to learn and sometime initiated educational discussion forum, where top academicians in the country Universities students and lecturers meet to brainstorm on how to end illiteracy rate in this country. These are politically viable ways that President Kiir s Administration should explores to ease pressure of losing ground for popular support among influential groups, however, this process is not easily to address, but it need strong men and women as Advisors behind him. The road to reelection needs political determination and sacrifices for ultimate reforms within the governmental institutions as well as countrys raw private sector. Which is currently, dominated by foreign nationals due to poor entrepreneurial skills those South Sudanese private owners had, if it comes in business competitions. if government loss control of its national economic growth by it own people then is equally of losing political power, since, money and power always goes hand in hand like faces of coin,. This lean cabinet should prioritize capacity building among South Sudanese Businessmen and women. By furthermore digging deep, pool resources together and initiated smallholders microfinance loan to gifted South Sudanese in private sector as tool for businesses empowerment. All in all delivering social amenities that South Sudanese needed, especially building roads, empowering women and youth to participate fully in private building sector, policy making, mobilize resources for both general and higher educations and upgrading of health centers will be holistic restoration of disappearing hopes and aspirations among citizenry. Professionalizing security sector to fully engage respecting rule of law and civil authority as well as harmonization of political atmosphere among different political parties is what we need and see it done. South Sudanese people who fought together for unreservedly heroic war to achieve hard won independence, therefore, they solely need peace dividends by seeing progress in all aspects of nation building. President Kiir is a good man that South Sudanese are gifted with, as matter of facts, he deserved appreciations for his stewardship and steadfast leadership he provided during ups and downs years of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) implementation, till he heroically guided South Sudanese people to an independence nation. But due to his always tender heart, he wrongly surrounded his highest seat with Advisors who are there opposing the system, giving wrong advices to President or keep silence to correct President Kiir when he goes wrong. The lack of expertise among Advisory team that surrounded him for political accommodations has dragged this nation down, and most of his eminent supporters turn against his government, especially when Presidential decrees were issued with errors and later reverse and issued, shown disarray within the system. President Kiir next decision as he announced earlier to scale back the number of Advisors behind him should be another good step toward lean government drive, but South Sudanese need expertise in different aspects this time around as Advisors behind him. We hope the political accommodation without tangible results in President Kiir administration must stop and bring in an exceptional or gifted South Sudanese to lead this country in the next level of development and progress. We are tied and sick of political accommodation that result to mass corruption practices, with impunity , which has in turn tarnished the image of South Sudan as newest nation and SPLM as ruling party. As far as corruption goes on it inculcated fears among potential foreign investors not to direct their investment opportunities into the country. Therefore, President Kiir should now open transparency avenues, especially addressing controversial land ownership issue, so that land use may be rightfully administer by specified party spell out correctly in the existing land laws, otherwise land without legal framework will still fear away affluence investors. Therefore, to conclude South Sudanese still need President Kiir in the next elections only if essential services and good governance systems are revived. The writer is South Sudanese journalist and Human Rights Activist living in Juba You can reach him for any comment at Email atergarang02@yahoo.com