South Sudan’s GPAA official refutes contest for governorship seat
December 4, 2015 (BOR) – Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) has dismiss?ed any claims of contesting for governorship? seat for its newly created Boma state between David Yauyau and any other opponent, saying the cobra faction would nominate the governor, who will be David Yauyau only, referring to the leadership of recently ordered creation of Boma state by president Kiir, which has not yet been implemented.
“We in Greater Pibor retain some special status, as it (GPAA) was created to solve? some problems in Jonglei state. The agreement which is going to last for three more years, had stated clearly that the leader of greater Pibor administration should come from Cobra Faction,” said Zugula.
“I don’t think that the issue of 28 states is going to demolish this agreement. This state, called Boma state, is the same state the people of Greater Pibor demanded for during the peace negotiation [as Pibor state]. Luckily the state has been granted to us, that mean the government is serving the interest of the people of Pibor,” Zugulu narrated.
On 1 December, officials from Murle ethnic tribe, serving either in Jonglei state and GPAA said the community was going to organize a meeting in which the contestants for governorship of the new state would ?be listened to, and then nominees selected for the president to appoint one among them ?as the state governor. Some added that David Yauyau maybe overpowered in the contest by senior and elderly people.
According to Zugulu, all the Murle population had expressed their support to David Yauyau, even if there will be any elections, the only person they know is David Yauyau, saying such claims of contesting against him were not true, as Yauyau would remain the governor till 2018.
“So if somebody is just jumping out of blue and says that they will be contestants to David Yauyau, I am surprised, who said this to who?? Somebody with clear mind should not think? of contesting with David Yauyau as he? was given this position through peace agreement. In 2018 and after, the seat will be open for any contestants,” he added.
Moreover, Zugulu indicated that, till now, the office of the president had not written a formal letter asking GPAA to submit the list of nominees for the position of the governorship in the new Boma state.
“When the president issued the degree, he did not talk about any elections, what is there is popular consultation, for the newly created states which have no governors. This is what I know. I have never heard any of elections, or popular consultation in Eastern Equartoria in Namurnyong state, where Louis Obong is there, and I have never heard of anybody who contested Rizik Zacharia in western Bahr el Ghazal state,” he continued.
He however said if there will be need to contest, the president will write clearly that people of Boma state have to sit down and bring somebody that they like to be governor of Boma state.
Peace among Murle communities and with their neighbours was one of the major targets the GPAA is working to achieve, according to the security advisor.
Zugulu said Yauyau administration has not and “will never” give freedom to Murle criminals to continue stealing children from the neighbours, saying the administration will continue to trace abducted children in the communities of Murle to be reunited with their families.
The community is known for the culture of abducting children and raiding or stealing cattle from their neighbouring communities in Jonglei state.
(ST)