JMEC faults S. Sudan’s Kiir for appointing officials without consulting vice-presidents
April 8, 2020 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s peace monitoring implementation body requested President Salva Kiir to not appoint senior official without prior consultations with other vice-presidents.
In a letter to President Kiir on 3 April, the head of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) Augostino Njoroge recalled the need to observe the collegial collaboration in the decision-making process at the presidency as provided in the peace pact.
Njoroge said they have been seized by FVP Riek Machar who alleged that several officials and ambassadors “without due collegial collaboration and consultations as required by the provisions in the R-ARCSS, 2018,” reads the letter seen by Sudan Tribune.
According to the letter, Kiir unilaterally appointed Undersecretary of the Ministry of Petroleum, 6 Ambassadors and the Governor and two Deputy Governors of the Bank of South Sudan.
“It is my humble request that in the spirit of collegial collaboration and attainment of mutual understanding, you undertake necessary consultations within the Presidency in a bid to seek agreement on the way forward on these issues raised”.
The revitalized peace agreement establishes a collegial presidency during the transitional period founded on the continued consultation between the President, the First Vice-President and the four Vice-Presidents.
The appointment of “constitutional and judicial office holders” is one of the matters that are requiring ” mutual understanding and agreement” between the members of the presidency.
For the army and other organized forces, the consultation must be observed not only for the appointment but also for the promotion, retirement and dismissal. to consult each other with the approval of the National Defence Council (NDC).
The only exception of this rule is that the President can appoint two advisers, for any additional number of advisers he has to get the agreement of the others.first vice-president and the four vice-presidents.
(ST)