S. Sudan president rejects technocratic government idea
December 11, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan president Salva Kiir has rejected a proposal calling for the establishment of a technocratic government in which no political leader seeking to contest in elections, is allowed to participate.
The people would participate in the government would be drawn from the three regions of Upper Nile, Equatoria and Bahr el Ghazal.
The office holders, according to IGAD’s proposal, are envisaged to be men and women selected and vetted on their qualification and professional expertise or experience irrespective of any affiliations to a political party, civil society group or association.
The new proposal has, however, not gone well with President Kiir, prompting the South Sudanese leader to question its legitimacy and who mandated it.
“I have been hearing around some people have come out with proposals and their views have appeared in the pre forum and the report of the IGAD special envoy.
Recently my opinion who asked on this proposal by some of the regional leaders I met when I went to Kenya to attend the inauguration of President Uhuru Kenyatta and I said I did not see the proposal and so i would not comment before I see it,” said Kiir during a meeting with his advisors on Monday.
He added, “Who are these people making this proposal. Who gave them the mandate to make such a proposal without the people?”
The South Sudanese leader has now ordered that the summary of the proposal from IGAD be given to him by Wednesday this week.
“If you have this report and it is one of the reports I am yet to receive, please make sure it is summarized and I get the summary by Wednesday. There are people who assign themselves and what they do get out in the name of the people,” stressed the president.
He added, “The people who do these need to be known”.
President Kiir, sources in the coalition in the government told Sudan Tribune, is opposed to a new government without him because he believes it is part of the strategy to prevent him from contesting in the next general elections.
“All these proposals are tactics to implement the regime change agenda. So whenever their plans have been frustrated, they go come out with other strategies. The objective remains the same and I don’t think people will accept. The people making this proposal should come out to tell the citizens”, further said the president.
A former South Sudanese minister in the coalition government supported a technocratic transitional government in the war-torn nation, saying it will deliver the transition to its “intended” purpose.
According to Lam Akol, Sudan, from which South Sudan seceded in July 2011, has seen two technocratic transitional governments in its modern history and that both came about after popular Uprisings overthrew the military juntas (in 1964 and 1985) and led the transition to democratic elections.
“Of course, technocratic transitional governments are not without problems, but taking all factors into account they come up far on top compared with a transitional government of politicians if the purpose is to prepare a level field for all”, Akol wrote in an opinion Sudan Tribune published in September.
“That purpose is to prepare a level ground for all citizens for the country to leave its troubled past behind and embark on a truly democratic path,” he added.
(ST)