Colonel Bakosoro draws huge crowds in Mundri amid reports of political intimdation

Col Joseph Bakosoro drew a massive crowd and landed big bucks in funding for his campaign during a campaign in the eastern part of Western Equatoria State (Greater Mundri)

"This is the most spectacular setting for the most spectacular crowd” he told his ululating supporters that numbered an estimated 30,000.  Previously, his campaign’s biggest crowd was when the candidate spoke to around 25,000 in Ezo County.

Among the supporters were cheering ladies and youth as well as elders who turned up in big numbers to welcome their candidate for governorship candidacy; the highest seat of government in Western Equatoria State.

There was a long procession of vehicles and bodabodas (motorbikes) lining the streets from Karika all the way to Kotobi 

There was a long procession of vehicles and bodabodas (motorbikes) lining the streets from Karika all the way to Kotobi and thereafter continued to Mundri town center with people lining up all the roads. The majority of the crowds were women and youth. The procession continued across Mundri River and down to the airstrip.   

Col. Bakosoro told the cheering crowd that he has come to unite the people of Western Equatoria with the vision for Western Equatoria to be a state where all citizens are equal and work together without tribal differences. He urged the people of Mundri to vote him to bring an end to the divisions within the state like that of Tambura where tribal conflicts have been at their greatest.  Tribalism had been at a peak during the tenure of acting Governor and SPLM candidate Nunu Kumba, with over 5,000 civil servants from one tribal group being dismissed. Bokosoro vowed to ensure education is revitalised across the state and deplored the working conditions of teachers saying that without teachers there is no future for our children.  He told the crowd amid cheers and ululations that if elected as governor he will work to improve the security of the people of the area adding that insecurity does not only emanate from guns but can also result from lack of food, lack of basic services like water, health care, antenatal care and education.  

Mr. Bakosoro thanked the people of Mundri for their warm welcome and said that the campaign rally had already entered the history of Western Equatorial State in the numbers that had turned out to welcome him. 

This feverish election atmosphere marks an unprecedented moment in South Sudan's history...

The gubernatorial candidate for the Western Equatoria State seat traveled from Yambio to Mundri as the campaign for the governorship is hitting fever pitch. This feverish election atmosphere marks an unprecedented moment in South Sudan's history and there were many months and years in the past when I could never believe that these times would come.  

The Bakosoro election campaign continued from Maridi through Karika where they were met by supporters from the county who had traveled over forty kilometers by foot to welcome Col. Bakosoro to Mundri County.  Then in Karika and Kotobi the team was received by a number of independent candidates that included Dr. Richard K. Mulla the incumbent member of parliament of SSLA, Samson Arabi who is vying for the seat of State Legislative Assembly, Joseph Pio for SLA Kotobi constituency and David Dokore of Mvolo for SSLA.  

Reports of political intimidation:

As Col Bakosoro continues with his campaign, sudanvotes has heard reports from reliable anonymous sources, that the caretaker governor of WES, Jemma Nunu Kumba, during her visit to Greater Tambura, ordered her agents to remove and tear down the posters of Col Bakosoro.

“Since the people do not show solidarity with all the developments I am doing, instead they are supporting Independent candidate, it is better we remove his posters and put mine,” the caretaker governor was quoted as saying.  

Four young men were arrested for having refused the posters of Jemma Nunu Kumba on the walls of their shops in Tambura.  These arrests clearly violate the laws of the National Election Commission.   But what is the NEC going to do about it?  There have also been reports that Yambio FM, a state owned radio station, is not allowing independent candidate election messages to be played.  These abuses raise serious concerns and need to be addressed. 

The unpopularity of WES’s Caretaker governor is raising deep division amongst the SPLM members in WES.  There have been those saying to me that “The caretaker should exit before being ashamed by the might of popular support for Col. Bakosoro".  But there are also those fearing the safety of Bokosoro, after the recent assassination of an independent parliamentary candidate in Juba last week.  Rumors are already circulating among the supporters of Bakosoro, that the popularity of his campaign is pushing him to the brink of political assassination.

An anonymous source from the Bakosoro campaign camp revealed to sudanvotes that he had evidence of a trap being set by SPLM supporters, though that evidence could not be verified by sudanvotes. 

It is now down to the free media and the people of South Sudan to protect the fragile democracy we are learning, so that freedom of choice is the winner of these historic elections, what ever those choices turn out to be.