Aweil State Legislative Assembly dismisses six members
July 4, 2012 (KUACJOK) – South Sudan’s governing Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) branch office in Aweil, Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, on Wednesday issued an administrative order dismissing six of its members from the State Legislative Assembly (SLA).
Ito makes no reference to specific rules or regulations in the constitution of the ruling party which have been violated to warrant the dismissals. However, the order cites allegations of “disloyalty and underground coalition with other political parties against the interest of the party in the State Legislative Assembly”.
Speaking in an interview with Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, Achak Thiep, a member of the SLA said he and five others were given dismissal letters by the state governor, Paul Malong Awan, after returning from a trip to the country’s capital, Juba, on Tuesday.
“He [Awan] gave us the letters he said were given to him from Juba in response to his recommendation, so that we are dismissed from the party”, according to Thiep.
He said the other dismissed SLA members were: Kuac Wek Wol, Deng Deng Akuei, Hikma Ali MAlek, Andrew Lual Buola and Vicky Nyanut Urach. He also claimed Garang Mawien Mawien will be receiving a letter of dismissal.
He denied knowledge of any wrongdoing, attributing the dismissal to voting against minister of finance, Ronald Ruay Deng, in 2011 after he failed to fully account for the state budget.
“All those who have received letters of dismissal are members whose signatures endorsed the impeachment of the finance minister. There is not any other reason”, claimed Thiep.
Aguer Wol Aguer, speaker of the SLA also confirmed six members told him they have received dismissal letters from the state leadership, but that the reason for which “is not clear.”
(ST)