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December 13, 2013 (JUBA) - Senior leaders of the South Sudan’s ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) have postponed a public rally which was previously scheduled to take place on Saturday.

South Sudan former vice president Riek Machar (AP/Mackenzie Knowles-Coursin)

On December 6th, senior party officials including the former vice-president and deputy SPLM chairman Riek Machar, in a press conference expressed their concerns about the party affairs, particularly the leadership style of the country’s president and chairman of the SPLM, Salva Kiir, whom they accused of “dictatorial tendencies.”

They announced that they would hold a public rally on Saturday to enlighten the people about the situation.

However, on Friday a press statement was released by the office of Machar, saying the rally was postponed to next Friday, in order to give room for dialogue and reconciliation.

“This is to inform all members of the SPLM and the general public at large that we have decided to postpone the public rally scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, 14 December, 2013. The rally will instead take place on Friday, 20 December,” it reads.

The release further explained that the decision was made in response to calls by SPLM well-wishers for dialogue between the two groups of the party leadership.

“This decision was arrived at in response to the call of SPLM well-wishers for postponement of both the rally and the meeting of the National Liberation Council (NLC) to give opportunity to the internal political dialogue until consensus is attained on the contentious issues of democracy in the SPLM,” further reads the statement signed by the SPLM deputy chairman, Riek Machar.

Machar called on the “people to remain calm and patient.”

(ST)