Source: SPLM Today

JUBA– SPLM Deputy Secretary General for the Southern Sector Dr. Anne Itto on Tuesday began to deploy teams all over the region to support SPLM state secretariats in their elections campaign, just days after they completed a training on campaign strategies.

The Southern Sector announced it was sending at least two officials to each of the 12 states of the Sector plus Abyei who will kick off their mission by training a minimum of 100 cadres and equipping them with the skills they would need to mount successful campaigns in their counties, payams and bomas.

Campaigning in what should be Sudan’s first free and fair elections in decades got underway on February 23, but the SPLM put off as it was still in the process of training its officials and candidates that was held from February 16th-19th.

The training, entitled “SPLM Elections and Campaigns Training Workshop,” was organized by the SPLM’s External Affairs Secretariat headed by Comrade Suzzane Jambo, who mobilized South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) to assist.

Senior ANC officials invited made excellent presentations during the workshop, sharing their experiences with the more than 100 SPLM participants from all over the Southern Sector, including candidates vying for the positions of governors in their states.

Cde Itto expressed gratitude to the ANC team lead by top ANC official Collins Chabane, saying the training greatly boosted the SPLM’s confidence in winning the forthcoming general elections scheduled for April.

“We really appreciate your spirit, your spirit of comradeship,” she said at the closing ceremony of the workshop.

Dr. Itto appealed to SPLM members to cast away petty differences, reconcile and be role models for others.

Workshop organizer Cde Jambo thanked the ANC and participants for responding positively to her invitation. “They did a marvelous job,” she said, referring to the ANC team.

Cde Jambo registered special appreciation to SPLM candidates contesting for the position of governors for their “hard work,” “patience,” and “tolerance.”

SPLM candidate for governor in Central Equatoria Cde Clement Wani Konga pointed out that the training was particularly useful in ensuring that SPLM candidates perform well at the polls.

“We must be confident. We have been shown the way,” he said.

The training sessions focused on a number of areas crucial for any election campaign, including communications, fundraising and mobilization of voters.