South Sudan’s Former Vice President Riek Machar today acknowledged that it was within the constitutional power of the president to remove him and called for calm. In his first public remarks since his removal by decree on Tuesday night, he also cautioned the army to stay out of politics.

However, Machar also challenged the constitutionality of the removal of two governors and questioned the movement restrictions placed on the suspended SPLM Secretary-General Pag’an Amum. He called for a meeting of the political bureau of the country's ruling party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).

He was speaking to the press at his home in the Amarat neighborhood of Juba.

Full transcript:

I have been under some pressure from citizens, elders, former ministers, other comrades in the party that I should give a statement to the events which took place on the 23^rd – the presidential decrees which were issued by the President of the Republic on the 23^rd.  First of all I would like to make it clear that the president by this constitution has the power to remove the [vice] president, which is article (104)(2) – the vice president may be removed by the president or by a decision passed by 2/3 majority of all members of the national legislative assembly. 

By that, I said, yes, my comment would be: He has done it, and he has also dissolved government.  I would have wished if he had consulted.  Even me, who he has removed.  Because, first of all we were running mates.  Although it is not in the constitution, and the running mate arrangement is not in the constitution, and it’s also not in the SPLM constitution, but it was an arrangement by the party that we be running mates.  So on those bases, if we couldn’t perform together, he has a responsibility to choose another vice president to finish the term remaining, the two years remaining.  However, he didn’t consult.  I don’t take it negative, because I know it is his right, or his power to remove the vice president, like it is his power to dissolve government.  However, I thought the dissolution should have taken place, and then a replacement or formation of the new government be done immediately, so that there is no vacuum in the state. 

We now have a vacuum, and this has created apprehension.  Therefore that’s why I thought, maybe I make my position clear, telling the people to remain calm.  Because since the night of the July 23^rd, a lot of people have been coming to my residence – and I also happen to have the problem of having three phones.  They would also ring at the same time.  But I’ve been telling the people: Look, this is within the powers of the president. Accept it. I want the nation to be calm. I want no misunderstanding of it. I want no violence to happen.

However, I think many people who have been coming to me since our meeting in J1 [the presidential palace], May the 5^th, you should expect reshuffle.  And therefore we should be calm about it.  So I want to call on the nation to be calm. This is his constitutional mandate as president to form government, to remove a vice president.  This is one point. 

In many of my statements, I have also been cautioning the army, that the army must not in any way get involved in politics.  And they should respect this constitution, and I’m really very grateful to the army because the last three days I have heard statements issued by the chief of staff and the command of the army telling them the right thing to keep away from politics.

Whatever happens in the SPLM, is a matter of the SPLM to handle. And in actual fact we have been looking forward that the problems that brought about the dissolution of government and the removal of the vice president be resolved in the Politburo of the SPLM.  And if not resolve in the Politburo of the SPLM, this would be resolved at the National Liberation Council. We are still looking forward that the president would call the Politburo and the National Liberation Council to resolve some of the problems that brought about this dissolution of government.  

Personally, I had wished the president dissolve government since the day he signed a letter and sent it to 75 people, and particularly when parliament resolved [to] support him to suspend and investigate the 75 people he sent letters. To me that was the most appropriate time, because when the president signs a serious letter like what he signed that time, that was the moment of action.  Maybe even some of the issues we discussed today would have been averted.  But in short, events went the way they have gone.  We want all our nation to be calm.  We hope the president will form a government soon, because this vacuum should not be exploited by anybody.  Personally, I hope he calls the SPLM politburo so that it can resolve some of the issues that are pending. 

Before I end my statement, I’m also concerned by the suspension of the Secretary-General of the SPLM.  My concern is in two ways: some of the charges against him should not have come from the party. Yes, there are party issues, for example the request to investigate the Secretary-General on mismanagement of affairs of SPLM administratively and politically. This is a party issue.  See, to investigate the SPLM [Secretary-General] about his utterances of incitement of tribal sentiments in the country by criticizing the republican order.  I thought this is not a party issue.  If it is important to be investigated, it should be investigated by the structures of government. 

I’m also concerned that yesterday a decree has been issued more or less curtailing the rights of the Secretary-General. His rights for free movement, which was accorded to every citizen of this country.  Now that his movement is confined to Juba, I think – I don’t know whether it is a presidential decree or a party decree – you may correct me.  If it is a party order from the chairman, I don’t think this should come from the party, because he might challenge it in court.  This should come from the office of the president, the president himself as president, even if the secretary-general may challenge it. 

So, I’m concerned how these decrees are being mixed – party issues and government issues.  There should be a differentiation of these issues, so that the party is not used, or the government is not used to enter into party issues.  Because if the president uses his presidential powers to discipline party cadres and party leaders, then democracy within the party and democracy generally would be questioned.  What are we going to?  Are we moving from a democratic state to one person’s rule?  This would be questioned, the SPLM would question it, because the SPLM is committed to ensure that democracy prevails in this country. We must behave by the law.

I’m also concerned, which became public, probably the reason for my sacking, that the president has sacked two governors.  And when I go through the constitution, I relate the article quoted to the sacking of the two governors – governor of Lakes and governor of Unity – my humble reading of the constitution tells me that the president does not have power to sack elected governors unless the state of affairs in the states would infringe on the national security of this country.  I didn’t see it in Lakes, I did not also see it in Unity.  Therefore, it creates me a big concern, who now protects this constitution?  The president is supposed to protect this constitution.  The next body that should be protecting this constitution is the National Legislature. 

And if we come to a situation where the president willfully, deliberately violates the constitution, then one becomes concerned, where are we moving?  To my understanding, we are a democratic state.  We elected a president.  We elected a national legislature.  And this constitution should be protected.  And the person to protect it is the President of the Republic.  Next, the National Legislature should protect this constitution so that the country does not get into chaos. The president, he should not put himself to be challenged by those who have taken up arms, or fuel the situation by the president being seen to violate the national constitution.  Thank you.  I am ready for questions.

Questions and answers follow. 

Reporting by Radio Tamazuj