By Sabri Dibaco
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) will begin its internal preparations for the upcoming general elections on Monday, October 5, with the opening of the nomination process for party members seeking to contest for elected positions.
SPLM Secretary General Akol Paul Koordit said nomination forms would be available at the party’s secretariat in Juba from October 5 to 9 for members aspiring to contest for positions including seats in the National Parliament, governorships, and chief administrator positions.
He said similar nomination forms would be dispatched to states and administrative areas for candidates seeking to contest in their respective areas.
“Aspirants will be able to pick up nomination forms from the SPLM Secretariat in Juba from October 5 to 9,” the statement reads in part.
Koordit also said the SPLM will contest state legislative seats and urged members aspiring to become state legislators to return to their respective states to begin the nomination process.
The secretary general warned aspirants that they must meet the party’s requirements and policies before being allowed to participate. These include educational qualifications, SPLM membership, moral integrity, and payment of the required nomination fees.
The nomination exercise is expected to be followed by SPLM primary elections at the county level, where party members will select candidates to represent the party in the general elections.
Koordit said only candidates who emerge victorious in the party primaries will be eligible to contest in the general elections under the SPLM ticket.
“No more lobbying for positions in Juba; leadership is back to the people to elect you,” Koordit said in a statement.
The process marks an important stage in the SPLM’s preparations for the upcoming elections, as political parties and electoral institutions move toward selecting candidates and completing other requirements ahead of the polls.
The SPLM leadership says the primary elections are intended to give party members at the grassroots level a direct role in choosing candidates rather than relying on appointments or lobbying for positions at the national level.