By Alan Clement
Some members of the public have criticized the South Sudan Football Federation (SSFF) for excluding contestant Teng Deng from the upcoming elections.
The criticism follows an announcement of the final lists for those to run for the SSFF presidential seat.
Previous week, the SSFF election body qualified Deng’s claim that he failed to meet the necessary requirement as stated by the law.
According to the SSFF Election Committee, Deng, a well-known figure in South Sudanese football and regarded as a strong contender for the top seat, did not meet all the eligibility requirements; key among them is a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, which is a mandatory qualification outlined under Article 38 (4)(iii) of the SSFF Statute.
Additionally, the committee found that Mr. Deng had not submitted the required four proposal letters from SSFF members as stipulated in Article 31 (3) of the Statute, read alongside Article 8 (3) of the electoral code. He also failed to provide a declaration against conflict of interest, contrary to Article A (3) of the same statute.
“He failed to submit four supported proposal letters from members of SSFF according to Article 31 (3) of the Statute read together with Article 8 (3) of the Electoral Code. No bachelor’s degree in accordance with Article 38 (4)(iii) of the Statute. No declaration against conflict of interest in accordance with Article A (3) of the Statute,” read the committee’s verdict.
Deng, widely recognized in South Sudan’s football circles, had positioned himself as a leading contender for the presidency, campaigning on platforms of reform, transparency, and grassroots development.
The SSFF Election Committee, however, declared the current SSFF President Augustino Maduot Parek, Francise Amin Michael, and Kamal John Akol as successful candidates for the position of the presidency in the coming election.
In response to such a decision, some members of the public protested, citing that the process was not fair.
John Tore expressed that Teng Deng was the preferred candidate to transform the Football Association.
He criticized the election body for disqualifying the right person to bring change in the current football arena.
“I do not think whether the clearance of the candidates was fair; Teng is the right person to bring change to the football association,” he said.
He appealed to the Ministry of Youth and Sports to intervene and ensure transparent processes in the election.