![South Sudan's First Vice President and SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny attends the initialing of the revitalized peace agreement in Khartoum in August 2018 [Photo by Reuters]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/images-1.jpeg?ssl=1)
JUBA — South Sudan’s main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny has promised political and religious freedoms if elected into power during the country’s upcoming elections.
This however comes as the opposition groups defies calls for elections in 2023 before the implementation of the whole revitalized peace agreement it signed with President Salva Kiir’s ruling SPLM faction in 2018.
President Salva Kiir Mayardit has indicated on several occasions that the country will conduct elections with or without the opposition consent, but Machar and other opposition leaders have dismissed it as a ploy to rig vote if the security arrangements provision is not implemented.
In a statement, senior member of the SPLM-IO and close ally of First Vice President Machar Dut Majokdit said the people of South Sudan trust his group the most and promised changes to the country’s civil space if elected into power.
“SPLM (IO) is the only ringtone that can be heard by our civil population to bring change through its ideology under Dr. Riek Machar with SPLM (IO) as the leading Party after the elections,” he said in the statement extended to Sudans Post.
“The whole country will be free, with freedom of expression, political and religious speeches in abundance and the right of all irrespective of our diversity,” he added.
![Minister of Health, Elizabeth Achuei makes a presentation to MPs on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 [Photo by Kitab Unango/The City Review]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Elizabeth-Achuei.jpg?resize=120%2C86&ssl=1)
![Meeting of the 40th African Union Ordinary Session of the Executive Council. [Photo via AU]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/1643798839982.jpg?resize=120%2C86&ssl=1)
I don’t think so. If Dr. Riek Machar Teny is elected President of South Sudan probably, the country will never be stabilizing and also his clan section of Dok Nuer will takes the Top most positions and it will cause breakaway. There are proofs as we have seen his wife took Minister of Defense and his Son in law took oil Minister and his cousins generals were occupying security while, the Nuers people who have been protected him for very long time were left out. Although I don’t agree with President Salva Kiir Mayardit, he is better than Riek Machar because he make balance when appointed people