South Sudanese presidency to appoint 9 more presidential advisers
June 3, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudanese Presidency – President Salva Kiir, First Vice President, Riek Machar, and Vice President, James Wani – said they have scored a number of additional consensuses on Friday, including to appoint 9 presidential advisers from the opposition factions.
This came after a lengthy meeting on Friday between the three leaders as a follow up on their Wednesday’s meeting where the presidency earlier agreed to form a 15-member committee to review the number of states and their boundaries and lift the state of emergency as well as release prisoners of war.
In another joint briefing to the press on Friday, 3 June, both First Vice President, Riek Machar, and Vice President, James Wani, told reporters after the presidency meeting at the presidential palace in Juba that 9 additional presidential advisers will soon be appointed by president Kiir.
First Vice President, Machar, who stood side by side with Vice President, Wani, in the joint briefing at the presidential palace explained to the press that the meeting also confirmed the 10 presidential advisers previously appointed by the president.
Machar, who also leads the opposition faction of the SPLM-IO said additional 9 presidential advisers; 6 to be nominated by the SPLM-IO leadership and 3 to be nominated by the other political parties will be appointed.
This will make 19 the total number of the presidential advisers in the national government.
The presidency on Friday also confirmed that their Wednesday’s meeting resolved to form a 15-member committee to “review the number of states and their boundaries.”
Their confirmation that the number of states will be reviewed too threw out doubts which were contrarily expressed on Thursday by presidential advisor on Decentralization and Intergovernmental Linkages, Tor Deng Mawien, and President Kiir’s press secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny, who argued that the committee would not review the number of states.
The trio also agreed to reconstitute and form the transitional parliament to the total of 400 members as stipulated in the August 2015 peace agreement.
President Kiir appointed 10 national parliamentarians already and now confirmed by the Presidency. The rest of the remaining 6 parliamentarians will be appointed after joint consultation with their constituencies and the Presidency.
Members of parliament who left because of the war will be reinstated immediately.
All the civil servants who left or were dismissed because of the war will be reinstated. First Vice President, Machar, to provide the comprehensive list of these Civil Servants from the SPLM-IO.
Independent Commissions and Institutions to be reconstituted or created based on the power sharing ratio of the parties to the agreement. The selection committee of the parties to the agreement shall sit and allocate and select the Independent Commissions and Institutions based on the power sharing ratios.
Also, National Reconciliation and Healing to be launched soon and the parties will appeal to the international Community for the support, according to the understanding on Friday.
Machar in his briefing further stated that the trio also discussed the importance of operationalization of September 2012 cooperation agreements between South Sudan and Sudan.
Vice President Wani on his part confirmed the statement of Machar in regards to the outcome of the presidency meetings on Wednesday and Friday, which he described as “the absolute truth” of what the presidency agreed.
He added that some minor issues have remained to be tackled in the next meeting, including the mode of electing speaker of the new parliament and replacement of MPs whose positions may fall vacant.
The progress or the steps made by the presidency raise hope among the people of South Sudan that the implementation of the peace deal may go on smoothly.
(ST)