Several members of the youth wing of South Sudan’s ruling party faction SPLM-Juba have called for dismissal of their chairman Akol Paul Kordit and the formation of a transitional body to prepare for the convention.
Deng Hamad, a member of the youth league and one of those who boycotted a youth conference held on Wednesday, said Akol lost legitimacy, accusing him of chaining the party’s constitution to stay in his position.
In a press conference held by some youth who boycotted the conference at SPLM House, Hamad called for dismissal of Akol Paul and to hold a convention for election of a new leadership for the youth league.
“We are calling upon the president and the chairman of the party comrade Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit to immediately dismiss the current chairman of SPLM youth league. Our second demand is the formation of a transitional body with specific mandate as the same mandate given to comrade Akol Paul to prepare the official documents of the party and then mobilize new membership for the party and prepare for the convention,” said Hamad.
He added that the legal age for members of the youth league is up to 35 years according to the party’s constitution, saying that the Akol has no legal right to convene a conference for the youth or change the party’s constitution.
For his part, Akol Paul Kordit declined to comment on the accusation made against him.
Kordit has been in the position of the chairman of SPLM youth league since 2007 and is currently the deputy minister of information in the transitional government of national unity and a member of the political bureau of the ruling party.
File photo: Akol Paul