South Sudan denies division over potential candidate for vice-president post
July 26, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan vehemently denied reports on Friday that division over who should be the next vice-president after president Salva Kiir removed his former long-time deputy, Riek Machar, on Tuesday.
“The presidency has noted complaints and reports largely relying on rumours and street talk from individual members of the public that [the] president did not provide [any] reasons for relieving the former vice-president and the subsequent dissolution of the cabinet members on Tuesday 23 [July]. There are also reports claiming that there are divisions over who should be the next vice president”, Abdon Agau, secretary-general of the government, told reporters on Friday.
He has denied reports that delays in appointing the new cabinet were due to ongoing internal division in the ruling South Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
“This is not true. There is no division. The cabinet is not being formed because of division but because the president wants to conduct wide consultation with different political players and actors in the country”, Agau said.
The official said he wanted to remind the general public that the president has a constitutional prerogative to appoint and relieve cabinet members, including the vice-president, without citing his reasons.
“There seems to be lack of understanding of the roles and functions of the president by some members of our society or they may be doing it for reasons known to them”, he said.
However, a presidential source said there have been deep internal disagreements since Tuesday between close aides of the president over the choice of the next vice-president should Machar not be reinstated.
According to the source, president Kiir had promised the position of vice-president to a number of colleagues.
“Now that it is time to implement the promises to different colleagues, things have become difficult, particularly that others have now turned down the offer”, the source disclosed.
Meanwhile, John Luk Jok, a former justice minister, who is one of the potential candidates for the post of vice-president, said he had been surprised by incorrect reports attributed to him as having declined the president’s offer.
“There are reports being circulated around in the media that I have turned down the offer by the president, which is not true. I have not heard any discussion with the president over this issue. I also did not talk with anybody and it is a crime to report on [an] assumption”, Jok told Sudan Tribune on Friday, without providing further comment.
Other candidates touted for the position include current speaker of the parliament, James Wani Igga, former head of the National Congress Party (NCP) in South Sudan Riek Gai Kok and the current chief of general staff, James Hoth Mai.
(ST)