Ex-minister Napwon urges SPLM contestants to embrace comraderie even in loss

Former environment minister and current SPLM High-level committee chairperson in Jonglei State spoke as the party announced Antipas Nyok Kucha and Dr. Plith Mulual Gai winners in Bor County SPLM Primaries

By Emmanuel Mandella

Former envoy of South Sudan to DRC and ex-Jonglei State Deputy Governor, Antipas Nyok Kucha, emerged winner in SPLM primaries for Bor South Constituency No. 13 parliamentary seat.[Photo: Courtesy]

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) has declared Antipas Nyok Kucha the winner of its primaries for the Bor South Constituency No. 13 parliamentary seat, while Dr. Plith Malual Gai secured the party’s nomination for the Jonglei State Legislative Assembly seat representing Yalet Payam, Constituency No. 28.

The results were announced by Josephine Napwon Cosmas, chairperson of the SPLM High level committee in Jonglei State, following voting in which 105 votes were reported for each of the two contests.

Nyok Kucha, who formerly served as envoy for South Sudan to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Deputy Governor of Jonglei State, secured 40 votes to defeat two opponents who received 34 and 31 votes, respectively, according to the results announced by the committee.

In the separate contest for the state legislative assembly seat, Dr. Plith Mulual Gai won with 71 votes, representing 64.3 percent of the 105 votes cast.

Nyok emerged victorious in the contest for the SPLM nomination for Bor South Constituency No. 13 after securing 40 of the 105 votes cast.

His two rivals received 34 and 31 votes, respectively, placing the winner six votes ahead of the second-placed candidate.

The result shows a competitive contest among the three aspirants, with the winner obtaining the largest share of the votes, with approximately 38.1 percent of the total votes cast.

The primary was part of the party’s process for selecting candidates to represent it in the parliamentary cadre. The result gives Nyok Kuja the SPLM nomination for the constituency, where he will battle it out with rivals from other parties.

In another contest, Dr. Plith Mulual Gai won the SPLM primaries for the Jonglei State Legislative Assembly seat representing Yalet Payam, Bor County, Constituency No. 28.

Gai obtained 71 votes out of the 105 cast, equivalent to 67.6 percent of the total.

The announced result gives him a clear lead in the contest and establishes him as the party’s nominee for the state legislative seat, subject to the party’s applicable procedures.

The two results reflect the SPLM’s internal candidate-selection process at parliamentary and state legislative levels in Jonglei State.

Following the announcement, Napwon Cosmas called on the aspirants to accept the outcomes and maintain unity within the ruling party, stressing that internal competition should not undermine relationships among party members.

She acknowledged that democratic contests produce both winners and losers but argued that the party’s members should continue supporting one another regardless of the outcome.

“In any democratic election, there shall be losers and there shall be winners. It’s like that. But in our party, we take all,” Napon said.

She encouraged unsuccessful candidates to remain engaged in party activities, saying that losing one contest did not necessarily mean they would be excluded from future opportunities.

“You may not make it at this time, but you will make it at other events,” she said.

Napon also urged the aspirants to embrace peace and support those who had won the nominations.

“If you did not make it, embrace your brother,” she said, appealing for solidarity among party members.

Her remarks underscored the committee’s call for the primaries to be treated as an internal democratic exercise rather than a source of lasting divisions.

The committee’s appeal for unity comes as political parties select candidates ahead of the forthcoming elections. Internal primaries can generate intense competition, particularly where several aspirants seek the same nomination.

Accepting announced results, resolving disputes through established party procedures and maintaining peaceful relations can help parties manage disagreements arising from candidate selection.

Napwon’s message was that aspirants who failed to secure nominations should remain part of the party rather than allow the outcome to weaken their relationships with fellow members.

The committee’s call for unity also leaves the nominated candidates with the task of maintaining support among party members as they prepare for the next stage of the electoral process.

The victories by Nyok Kucha and Dr. Plith Mulual Gai mark an important stage in the SPLM’s selection of candidates for the Bor South parliamentary constituency and the Yalet Payam state legislative constituency.

As the selection process continues, the committee’s emphasis on peace, brotherhood and cooperation highlights the challenge political parties face in balancing competitive internal elections with the need to maintain unity among their members.

Utilities

“In any democratic election, there shall be losers and there shall be winners. It’s like that. But in our party, we take all. You may not make it at this time, but you will make it at other levels. If you did not make it, embrace your brother,” Josephine Napwon Cosmas, Chairperson of the SPLM High-Level Committee for Jonglei State.