S. Sudan parliament declines to approve justice minister-designate
August 7, 2013 (JUBA)- South Sudan’s parliament on Wednesday approved the new cabinet formation presented by president Salva Kiir but notably rejected the minister of Justice-designate and demanded more information before they can give their blessings.
congratulated members of the new government and urged them, together with the president, to serve the nation as one team.
“We are very happy as the house, because we have today approved the new cabinet. This is because the country has not been having a cabinet for a long time since it was dissolved. The house has approved 18 names. These are the people who will be sworn in this afternoon”, Kwaje told journalists on Wednesday at the assembly.
However she stressed that the house will still have to conduct a thorough background check on the candidates for Minister of Justice and the deputy minister of Youth, Culture and Sport.
“The special select committee formed by the house to vet credentials of the two ministers did not include the names of the two ministers. It is still conducting the background check and will later present the report for deliberations. It will be later. For now they are out of the list”, Kwaje told reporters without elaborating on the causes for withholding vetting of the two candidates.
Kiir in a previous presidential decree appointed Telar as the new minister of Justice while at the same time keeping him as presidential advisor on legal affairs.
But South Sudan leader later relieved him from his post as the presidential adviser on legal affairs following a meeting with SPLM caucus.
A report seen by Sudan Tribune signed by 10 of the 11 committee members has indicated that they are not satisfied with the information of the minister-designate Telar Deng.
“Out of the 19 national Ministers and 10 national Deputy Minister vetted, 18 ministers are approved by the committee. The committee needed more information from one appointee, the national minister of Justice”, the committee’s report reads.
“The committee also approved nine national deputy ministers out of the 10 vetted; the committee needs to further investigate one deputy minister, the deputy minister for Information and Broadcasting”, the report adds.
Integrity and the degree of competence were some of the criteria used by the lawmakers to vet the appointed ministers.
“Some of the benchmarks used to measure integrity were personal and professional background checks against corruption, tribalism and nepotism”, the report stated.
It points out that most of the appointed ministers are qualified and experienced.
The report also praised the president for his efforts to balance the composition of the new government and picking ministers from the 10 states but underscored that Upper Nile state got the Lion’s share in the cabinet.
The new minister of information and broadcasting, Michael Makuei Lueth, told journalists after taking oath that the new team had expressed readiness to work together.
“The new cabinet had just taken oath of office before the president. We have had congratulations from the president and directed the minister of cabinet affairs to draw up an action plan and get to work immediately.”, Makuei told reporters.
PUBLIC REACTION
Garang Mawien Dut, a native of Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state commended the house for showing seriousness in the vetting process of new cabinet members. “
At least the house had shown sense of independence this time. Rejection of those who did not pass the vetting will now restore trust from the public in the house”, Mawien said Wednesday.
He said that he attended the session because he wanted to see how the members would vote to approve the new ministers after conducting proper background check.
Subek Alfred, a native of Central Equatoria, blamed the parliament for allowing the country to be “messed up by the clique” while it is the House of Representatives.
“Had the house stood up to its roles and functions, this country would not have been messed up by the cliques of merciless people. The citizens blamed this mess on the house but it is not too late to wake up. This situation can still be rectified if the members show independence and do what they were elected for”, Alfred told Sudan Tribune at the council of minister premises.
Alfred said the country was suffering “while individuals had amassed huge sums of public money and failed to deliver services. This country was made to look poor by our own people”.
“Our resources are being squandered by a few who are not ashamed of the suffering of our people. Look now, the roads have been washed away. Luri Bridge is now down. The people of Western Equatoria cannot come to Juba because this strategic road is cut. The citizens should be complaining every year and no attention is paid. How much money is required to construct this bridge and how much has been stolen. A lot has been stolen”, he asserted.
(ST)