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July 29, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan former vice-president, Riek Machar on Sunday renewed calls for calm among citizens, insisting president Salva Kiir had the right to remove him from office.

Riek Machar speaks in a press conference held on 26 July where he announced his intention to run for the presidential election in 2015 (in AP Photo/Mackenzie Knowles-Coursin)

"It is constitutional mandate of the president to remove and form a government. This is within the powers of the president. There should be no violence", Machar told the congregation.

Machar warned those who have been saying they waited for the formation of the government in order to react, saying they should instead support the president to quickly form the government and avoid a vacuum.

"Who do they want to fight?" he asked, adding that his declaration to run for the party chairmanship and 2015 presidential elections have been supported by the people from all the communities in South Sudan, reminding warmongers that fighting any one would mean fighting his own supporters across the country.

He said ascending to power is through peaceful and democratic processes and that is why he has been telling the army to remain neutral in such political processes in the country.

Machar who vowed to concentrate his energy in the ruling SPLM party as the deputy chairman had earlier stated that he has no plans to split from the SPLM to create an independent opposition party.

He further stressed that will continue to serve the people and promote democracy and multiparty democracy in the country, reiterating his determination to unseat Kiir in party and government by 2015.

He told the audience that Kiir is the president of the republic for the next two years until 2015 when fresh elections will be conducted, alluding to his declared intention to run for the presidency.

Machar condemned the removal of elected governors in Lakes and Unity states and distanced himself from the suspension of SPLM secretary general Pagan Amum saying that any disciplinary measures would have been addressed through the party’s institutions.

The SPLM deputy chairman also said he wished the president had consulted with the politburo of the ruling party on the formation of the next government.

(ST)