Veteran legislator Michael Ruot Koryom has lost the ruling SPLM primary elections for the National Legislative Assembly seat representing Nyirol County in Jonglei State.
The primary election for Geographical Constituency No. 7 was held on Friday in Pading town, where delegates voted by lining up behind their preferred candidates.
Majok Pouk won the contest with 98 votes, defeating Gatkuoth Duop, who received 40 votes, and Koryom, who secured 37 votes.
A total of 175 delegates from five payams participated in the election. Nyirol is one of three counties in Jonglei State predominantly inhabited by the Lou Nuer community.
Koryom, who lost the contest, said he was satisfied with the electoral process, describing it as free and fair. He congratulated Pouk on his victory.
Pouk also described the process as free and fair, thanking delegates for electing him to represent Nyirol County in the National Legislative Assembly in Juba.
“Let’s work together as SPLM members and work with our community. You lose today, but tomorrow you can make a comeback,” Pouk said.
Party leadership elected
In a separate contest, Peter Guek Chan was elected SPLM county chairperson for Nyirol County with 101 votes, while Wal Makuach Wiw won the position of deputy county chairperson with 74 votes.
Hellen Denya Marko, chairperson of the SPLM Western Zone Subcommittee, attended the electoral process and said the primaries are part of the party’s internal candidate-selection exercise ahead of the general elections.
Marko said the primary elections are not the final electoral contest, explaining that the successful candidates would compete against nominees from other political parties and independent candidates in the general elections.
She added that members who failed to secure nominations would still have opportunities to serve in other positions within the SPLM, saying the party had room to accommodate all its members.
Senior party figures defeated
Koryom’s defeat adds to a series of losses by senior SPLM figures in recent primary elections in Jonglei State.
Veteran politician Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin also recently lost his bid for re-election to the National Legislative Assembly representing Uror County.
Parliamentary background
Koryom is a veteran politician and legislator who has represented Nyirol County in the national parliament. A member of the ruling SPLM, he was first elected to the national legislature in 2010, when South Sudan was still part of Sudan, and continued serving in parliament after the country gained independence in 2011.
During his parliamentary career in Juba, he served on several committees of the National Legislative Assembly. In 2017, he became deputy chairperson of the Committee on Federal Affairs and, in 2022, chairperson of the Committee on Members’ Affairs, Ethics and Integrity.
He has also participated in parliamentary debates on economic accountability, security and intercommunal peace in Jonglei State.
The SPLM primaries are part of the ruling party’s internal candidate-selection process ahead of its national convention and general elections scheduled for December 2026.
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