The fight for the control of the National Alliance of Political Parties, a grouping of ten entities, has taken a new twist with a faction of the alliance rejecting the removal of Kornelio Kon Ngu as the body’s chairman.
On Tuesday, Joseph Wol Modesto, the Secretary General of the Communist Party of South Sudan and a member of the National Alliance, while addressing a press conference, declared that seven out of the ten parties in the group had ousted the group`s leader, Kornelio Kon Ngu, who is also a Deputy Speaker in the National Legislature.
“We, the undersigned leadership of the National Alliance of Political Parties, hereby formally announce the relief of Rt. Hon. Kornelio Kon Ngu from the position of assigned Chairman of the National Alliance with immediate effect,” he stated. “This decision has been reached after thorough deliberation and deep consideration of the best interests of our organization and its members.”
Wol and his group accused Kon of violating the good conduct of business regulations of the National Alliance of Political Parties and that he had overstayed in the chairman’s office since 2016 among other issues.
However, on Wednesday, the National Alliance allied to Kon put out a press statement titled; ‘Rejection of the purported relief of the chairperson of the National Alliance of Political Parties’ which was signed by Richard Omwony Valent, the Secretary-General National Alliance Political Parties.
“We are dismayed to come across a dippy and unconstitutional purported so-called relieve of the Rt. Hon. Kornelio Kon Ngu from the Chairmanship of the National Alliance Political Parties in a letter sent to Hon. Tut Kew Gatluak, the Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs on date August 6, 2024,” the statement part. “The individuals who signed the unconstitutional and the un-procedural letter do not have a moral nor a legal authority to use the name of the National Alliance Political Parties as a political net to catch some political favors from the government individuals nor institutions.”
According to the statement, there is no recorded history of the violation of the National Alliance’s code of conduct since the said code was developed and agreed upon as a legal framework for the operationalization of the National Alliance Political Parties.
“The National Alliance Political Parties was operating without a code of conduct since the signing of the R-ARCSS until recently on Thursday 15 April 2024 when the code of conduct was developed, reviewed, and passed into law by the Leadership Council which is comprised of the representatives of the Political Parties and it was considered the first day of the tenure of the Chairman in the office,” it reads. “The National Alliance Political Parties is a constituent coalition within the Other Political Parties (OPP), hence, it is inappropriate to single out responsibility sharing as a violation. Perhaps if so, which article in the code of conduct was violated?”
The statement added: “The group who are accusing the Chairperson of corruption and misappropriation of positions are/were members of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly and the Council of States respectfully are currently holding senior positions of the Commissioner in the Parliamentary Service Commission and the Chairperson of the Decentralized Governance and States Affairs in the two houses.”
According to the statement, the National Alliance Political Parties’ code of conduct article 9 (a & c) was the ground used for the revocation of the said members after their parties complained of their dishonorable misrepresentations.
“The suspension of the said party was done in the meeting and unanimously endorsed in the meeting without a single vote of objection during that day. The minutes were recorded by the Secretariat. And that happened in conformity with article 9 (a & c) and article 10 subsection d,” the statement clarified. “Surprisingly, we wonder the said taken 70% executive positions across the states and how did that happened for God’s sake? 70% of what number if it is not a mere political tantrum aimed to just make a point out nowhere.”
“Therefore, we are categorically rejecting the coup d’état enunciated by the representatives of the Political Parties that appeared in their coup letter is not representing the will of their Political Parties because most of them are not even Leaders of the Parties they signed against,” it added.
The statement said the position of the group which tried to oust Kon does not represent the will of the majority who are still committed members of the National Alliance Political Parties.
“Lastly, the leadership formation made by the coup group is un-procedural does not bear any legal authorization of our code of conduct and it is null and void,” the statement concluded.
Relatedly, in a swift backlash, Kornelio Kon, the embattled chairperson of the National Alliance of Political Parties, on Tuesday suspended four parties from the grouping.
“In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by the National Alliance Leadership Council in its extraordinary meeting held on Thursday 6 August 2024 attended by the NUDF, USSP, NDF, UDF, PCP, PURE, and UDSF-M, and its resolutions in conformity with article 9, subsection (a,b) and 10 (d) of the National Alliance’s Conduct of Business Regulation 2014 as amended 2024,” the order reads in part. “I, Kornelio Kon Ngu, the Chairperson of the National Alliance of Political Parties, do hereby issue this suspension order for the suspension of CPSS, DUP, NDA, and SSNP from the National Alliance and shall come into force with immediate effect pending formation of the Investigative Committee to decide thereon.”