Unconstitutional impeachment in Lakes state to be corrected – SPLM
October 8, 2008 (RUMBEK) – A senior Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) official stated today that the speaker of the Lakes State Assembly had been wrongfully impeached.
“The decision of impeaching Speaker Isaiah Mashinkok and his deputy Marik Nanga was not correct,” said Dr. Itto.
Speaker Isaiah Machinkok and his deputy, Marik Nanga Marik, were ousted from office in late September by a coalition of the Lakes state legislators backed by the state administration.
The SPLM secretary for the southern sector Anna Itto briefed the media at Palm-tree hotel saying, “I came here as a member of the SPLM chairpersons to witness the opening of the Southern Sudan Commission for Census Statistics and Evaluation (SSCCSE) house data processing building which will handle all the issues of Southern Sudan government.”
Itto said that there were successful meetings with the SPLM State Secretariat and a parliamentary committee as well as state ministers. “Yes there is some difference and mismanagement of resource,” she noted, “but really, the issue here is not using the right procedure of well impeaching the people.”
“SPLM will take the case to handle it in the Secretariat,” said Itto, a member of the SPLM Secretariat. “We are seeing that unity is coming among those who were impeached and those who were not impeached, who were smiling together.”
“The spirit of comradeship is real forgiveness; the meeting was very successful on how party function will be led by SPLM and to lay down the outline on what is to be achieved in 2011,” said Itto, referring to the 2011 elections.
Itto emphasized that the speaker of the assembly had not actually been removed because procedures had not been correct.
She said that controversy about the finance minister, which helped spark the political crisis leading up to the impeachment of the speaker, who had opposed this minister, has been referred to the governor. The governor has consulted the government of Southern Sudan president on the matter, and if an audit report proves the finance minister guilty, then minister should go to court and the issue should not be addressed in parliament again, said Itto.
“Both the institutions, the Executive and Parliament, were not reporting very well on finances that they have taken,” she said.
Governor of Lakes State Daniel Awet Akot said that the Assembly will definitely resume its duties on Monday.
The governor appealed to Lakes state citizens, saying, “unity is always a power, divided you fall, united you stand; let us united and avoid power struggle, let us not talk about position, power struggle is leading us nowhere. Anyone small or big are doing the same things, let us unite to fight corruption and nepotism.”
(ST)