Democracy Day celebrated in Southern Sudan

MS partners in Yei, Morobo and Nimule in Southern Sudan celebrated the International Day of Democracy with dialogues between the people and their elected representatives.

Speeches at Freedom Square in Yei. Photo: Peter Tholstrup.

“Your parliament – working for you, accountable to you”. This year's theme for the International Day of Democracy fitted perfect for Southern Sudan where the people, for the very first time, in April elected  representatives to their parliaments. MS partners in Yei, Morobo and Nimule used the occasion to create forums for dialogue between the people and their elected representatives.

At Yei Community Resource Centre one member of the Central Equatoria State Legislative Assembly had accepted the invitation to meet the people. Lokoroto Daniel from SPLM, together with representatives from the local government, listened to people's questions and took his time to answer each of them.

“This is a learning ground for me,” he said during the dialogue.

Democracy still new
The questions to Lokoroto Daniel were varied and included, among other things, questions about crime, downsizing in the public sector and delay in development projects in general.

“All the questions I got today were good but the most interesting was the role of the members of parliament. People do not know these things because democracy is still new to us,” Lokoroto Daniel said after the dialogue and added:

“Today is a very important day and it alerts us about democracy. In Southern Sudan, we should know that democracy empower. In democratic nations, the power lies in the hands of people and those who are chosen by the people are accountable to them.”

Take part next time
Yei Community Resource Centre had invited a number of politicians recently elected into office but Lokoroto Daniel was the only one who decided to take part in the dialogue. He refuses to believe that the rest stayed away to avoid their constituents.

“They were told too late for them to arrange to be here. But my advice to my colleagues would be to take part next time. I am sure they will. What we do here is very good. I like that. I am very appreciative towards the organisers. I have never had anything like this before. It has been very good and interactive,” Lokoroto Daniel says.

Since 2008, the International Day of Democracy has been celebrated on 15 September. This year, the day was celebrated by MS partners in Yei, Morobo and Nimule. In Morobo, more than 170 people took part in a dialogue meeting at Morobo United Youth Association's resource centre. Representatives from the local government, churches, civil society and teachers participated.

Deputy executive director of Yei River county and member of the Central Equatoria State Legislative Assembly David Lokoroto listening to the questions from the audience. Photo: Janne Bruvoll.