South Sudan: Lakes state MPs threaten to impeach caretaker governor
April 30, 2013 (RUMBEK) – Lakes state‘s parliament could soon move to impeach the military caretaker Governor if an election is not held as per the young nation’s constitution, an MP warned the South Sudanese government on Tuesday.
The transitional constitution gives the president the power to replace governors when national security is threatened but the law also states that under this scenario new gubernatorial elections must be held within 60 days. This deadline passed on March 21 which has drawn criticism from lawmakers, activists and politicians loyal to the previous governor.
David Kockedhei Pundak, who represents Amonyping Constituency in the Lakes state parliament for the ruling SPLM, said the failure to hold an election within the timeframe stipulated in the constitution was a “legal violation” by the both the state and national government.
The new governor has proved highly controversial for his hardline policies. Over 100 men suspected of involvement in the inter-communal violence of the past few months have been held without charge or trial in secret military prisons.
Young men who have escaped or bribed their way out of the detention centers allege that torture is common place. Human rights officials and lawyers have not been granted access to the men being held in custody.
Torture had become a “day to day practice” in Lakes state, Pundak said. He questioned why South Sudan’s leaders were not protecting people’s constitutional rights.
Some South Sudanese have accused the SPLM government of adopting many of the autocratic tendencies and bad practices from civil war years and subsequent power-sharing with Khartoum between 2005 and 2011.
During the 22-year civil war the SPLM’s stated aim was to exercise democracy and good governance. However, since independence in mid-2011 the nascent state has been criticised for not guaranteeing the freedom of expression and safeguarding human rights promised during the liberation struggle.
“It seems our government is returning to Khartoum practices”, Pundak said, “and we should not keep quite since many people died for the honor and dignity of our people to become answerable for their government and government answerable to them.”
Marial Amuom Malek, a MP representing Aluakluak and Geer constituency No. 17 of Yirol West County said that there was no difference between the cattle raiders responsible for Lakes state’s insecurity and the death of civilians and the politicians who were violating the constitution.
“They are all criminals”, he said.
He pointed out the that the SPLM had justified its insurgency against Khartoum on the grounds that the latter was reneging on agreements and dishonoring rights accorded to South Sudanese.
However, the SPLM was now dishonoring its own legacy and the constitution it had signed into law on South Sudan’s independence day, Amuom said.
“His days are finished according to National Transitional Constitution” Amoum said of the caretaker governor’s rule which is approaching the 100 days mark.
The harsh security measures implemented by the Governor Dhuol – including arbitrary and politically motivated arrests – have further undermined his constitutional mandate, he said.
(ST)