Kiir reverses his decree on presidential advisor after a meeting with SPLM MPs
August 3, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, has cancelled a decree he issued this week for continuity of the presidential adviser on legal affairs, Telar Ring Deng, following a meeting with SPLM caucus.
The move earned the president fierce criticisms from the party parliamentarians in the SPLM caucus meeting which took place on Saturday to discuss the vetting of the new appointed ministers.
As a result, Kiir on Saturday evening issued a counter decree cancelling the continuity of Telar as his advisor.
A member of parliament who attended the caucus meeting told Sudan Tribune that president Kiir was also criticized by the caucus members for not adequately consulting with the SPLM party, such as the politburo, on the formation of the new government.
President Kiir however reassured the MPs that he take note of their position and pledged to respect decision which the National parliament will make over the new cabinet.
“I have heard what you have said. They are genuine concerns and I will see what to do. I respect your views and will not impose the people you do not want. You are the representatives of the people, and I hope you are speaking on behalf of the people. I will try to do the needful”, Kiir told the SPLM MPs on Saturday.
The legislators raised questions about appointments of some figures from other political parties to key positions they claimed could have been occupied by members of the ruling party.
Others have asked the president to consider complaint of women and work on recommendations to revoke his appointment of some cabinet members.
The meeting took place following the failure of the parliament to approve the new cabinet in an extra-ordinary session held Friday where the MPs decided to postpone the deliberations in order to allow the SPLM bloc to conduct further consultations.
Secretary General of the SPLM parliamentary caucus in the assembly Thomas Wani who was the chair of the organising committee said organizing such meeting was a normal measure, describing responses made by the president as great.
“This is a normal procedure. We do this when the president has appointed a new cabinet. We have done that when he formed the cabinet after the independence in 2011 and we did it again today as members of SPLM”, he said.
Wani further admitted that the lawmakers asked Kiir to reduce the attributions of the minister of Justice Telar Deng.
“We make our observations and recommendations. One of our observations has already been acted upon by the president. The issue of the minister of justice serving as the presidential advisor on legal affairs was discussed and the president was asked to cancel one appointment. We also appealed to the president to do more on the reservations we made”, he said.
Wani added that the president has accepted to act on the recommendations by the parliamentarians if they vote to maintain the same reservations when the official session to vet the new cabinet is convened.
But, he announced that the caucus reassured the president that they will approve the newly appointed cabinet “because the president has assured them that he will work on the reservations”.
“This is very important and we must thank the president for pledging to respect decisions of the parliament”, said Wani.
The meeting was attended by ranking members of the ruling party. James Wani Igga Maring, who is the deputy chairperson of the SPLM, was also in attendance.
South Sudanese president relieved his deputy Riek Machar, dissolved his cabinet, and suspended the SPLM secretary general Pagan Amum last July, in a bid to restore his authority after sharp criticisms of his decision to sack of two ministers.
The new cabinet includes two ministers who were leading figures in Sudanese political parties before the secession.
The Electricity and water resources minister Abdalla Deng Nhial was a candidate of the Islamist opposition Popular Congress Party of Hassan Al-Turabi. Also, health minister Riek Gai Kok– Health was, a deputy chairman of Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party.
Justice minister Telar Deng, had been sacked from the party in December 2007. Following his relieve he accused Salva Kiir of dictatorship, but he also alleged that some SPLM members plotted to topple the president. At the time, Telar was not in good terms with Pagan Amum. He also described people like Deng Alor, Luka Biong, Malik Agar, Yasir Arman and Mansour Khalid as “communist”.
From 2005 to 2007 Telar had been a powerful state minister at the Sudanese presidency and he accused the “communist” of working against the aspiration of South Sudanese for peace and independence adding they wanted to use the CPA to get rid of the National Congress Party.
(ST)