Political turmoil in Lakes State over fate of parliament speaker
September 24, 2008 (RUMBEK) — Lakes State witnessed a disturbing day after a contradictory statements issued on the removal of the speaker of the local parliament who leads since last year efforts to impeach the state finance minister.
Reports reached Sudan Tribune from different reliable sources confirmed the open power struggle in Rumbek between the executive and the legislative powers in the state. The lawmakers even beat each other.
Today development was the result of a report produced Tuesday by an audit panel confirming parliament accusations of public funds misuse against the State Minister for Finance, Trade and Industry, Philip Marol Mading.
In response to this report, a group of lawmakers backed by Parliamentary Affairs, Isaac Kon Anok, requested to vote a motion of no confidence against the speaker Isaiah Alier Machinkon, who rejected the demand saying such a move should be submitted to the chamber and a specialized panel will decide on its admissibility and determine the date of the vote.
However, the anti-speaker group said they have passed the motion and Machinkon was impeached because they have a majority of 24 MPs. The supporters of the speaker rejected the claim and the two factions started beating each other.
The speaker issued Wednesday evening a statement rejecting the allegation of impeachment and accused the state minister of finance of bribing the MPs. While the Governor Daniel Awet Akot, published a statement saying the speaker had been removed and necessary steps would be taken to avoid constitutional vacuum.
On August 21, 2007, the Lakes State Legislative Assembly had impeached the state minister of finance following a parliamentary probe on the mismanagement of public funds.
But following a request by the Governor Akot, the president of the government of Southern Sudan maintained the minister overlooking the decision of the state parliament.
(ST)
Thon Raan
Political turmoil in Lakes State over fate of parliament speaker
” It is a hard net to crack to bring together these so-called Executive and Legislative powers in Lakes State.
One thing is there, Salva the president is the one who brought this chaos in Lakes State. Salva failed to remove state Minister of Finance Mr. Philip Marol after being charged of lavishing and misusing public fund when the Law makers discovered the trick of the minister.
Salva has a dream in mind to perish all living creatures in lakes State, Rumbek by appointing wrong people in right places like the State minister has got no experience in Finance since the minister study only a Diploma in Animal Production just in Nakuru, Kenya. What the held is Salva doing?
Salva has commanded a poor battle in Rumbek during struggle which resulted in to the lost of many lives both civilian, animals, and the SPLA soldiers if I am not far from the truth.
Salva is a dog with no good ability to manage the larger country like South Sudan. I think and believe that many people do not like Salva in Lakes State accept Awet, Marol, and other dictators in the Lakes State. Salva will fail the next general elections without doubt.
I am confident of myself and my people.
Thon Raan is a Southern Sudanese signal and could be rarely found. I am your signal wherever you go, wherever you work, and wherever you stay.
Akolde Nhiak Jinub
Political turmoil in Lakes State over fate of parliament speaker
This is an outrageous Political turmoil in Lakes state! A parliament filled with unproductive bench, who wait to cash their imagineable salaries every months end! This good house is filled to the full brim by untamed, primitive, bribed minded and sectionalist idiots calling themselves MPs.
This is money complaining in their stomachs that they have deprived the common people of their PEACE dividends for the last three years down the road.
I strongly condemned this selfish move to impeach State Speaker who speaks the truth and which driven him to be a Speaker for people and not these others calling themselves MPs! On what basis can they impeach Speaker Alier?
This is how this state has been ruined in broad day light under the sun for few individuals to enrich themselves in the expense of the majority and GOSS is watching! Damn Governor Awet Akot is speaking of impeaching this rightful man called Alier, because to him, Alier is a threat for a stealing! Mr. Philip Marol: Goodbye to your theft. The spirit of those whom they have deprived of their money will haunt you forever! Wau Group of 2005 are now celebrating on hearding that you are finally removed! Their money won’t rest in your stomach!
God forbid the theives upto their descendents! Their evils will trail after them forever!
martin simon wani
Political turmoil in Lakes State over fate of parliament speaker
I always feel sad to hear about the political crisis between the executive and the legislatives wings of the government in most of our Southern States. I don’t know who is bewithching our politicians? is it ignorance of law or their roles in the States.We should not always rush to blame the leadership of GOSS for every small problem especially in the States, because most ot the States cabinets and MPs are nominees of these States. I would like to suggest the following:1- organization of joint training workshops between these two organs of the state governments to know their roles and relationships 2-The state legislative assembly members should not be left idle just to struggle for their financial benefits, they should be engage in discusssions and passing of the state laws 2-We should elect people who are politically,intellctually matured and educationally qualified, to minimize these political choas in our States.
Moses Kur Akech
Political turmoil in Lakes State over fate of parliament speaker
I personally think that the main cause of this looming and rampant political turmoil in South is the incompetence of nearly 99% of these politicians.
Most of them lack democratic principles and skills which are typically gained in either relevant tertiary education or past exposure to environment where you could absorb those skills. If I am not wrong enough, it seems to me that there were episodes of violence in this squabbling. And violence is the most disgraceful thing in this democratic world. Violent behaviour does not yield any good solutions; instead it bears venom which can exacerbate any disputable environment that can be easily solved in a non-violent means.
Hence, it will certainly take time for these amateur politicians to change from primitive lifestyle fashion to the real contemporary fashion which creates conducive atmosphere for politics to prosper.
The only way forward is for GOSS to do more in educating its members. Leadership programs, anger management programs and other programs that teach basic skills that qualify members to be good public servants have to be introduced. Victory against Corruption, insecurity often caused by violent behaviour and poverty can be achieved through rigorous education of everyone irrespective of age.
Brooke Obe
Political turmoil in Lakes State over fate of parliament speaker
The first three years of GOSS were supposed to be for the fighters to gain some compensations for their war effort. The appointment at all levels of government were done without regards to educational qualifications. The turmoil in the States shows that employing unqualified people has its limit. The President of GOSS should now bite the bullet and let in the qualified Southerners who roam the streets in Juba and elsewhere to take the rein for the next phase of the administration.For a start, sack those Governors who failed to get elected as Chairmen in the last congresses. Otherwise, GOSS will be engulfed by these State fires.
Mabor Adut Mayor
Political turmoil in Lakes State over fate of parliament speaker
Despite the fact that Lakes state MPs are money anger and doing nothing to the communit the are representing in the parliament nor administration the have right to excerces their powers and duties as law makers.
To be striaght forward and make appoint, no one is performing his duties effectively in the state either ministers , MPs and governor accepts commissioners who adressed security affairs in the counties not forgeting
deputy governor who is fairly doing well.
Not only that there is no development programme in the state, the outdated minister of finance and governor are leaders of hand to mouth economic who own the public funds astheir individual money so the are extravagant and corrupts.
To depence on anunreliabl person in the crisis is like trying to chew with aloose tooth or walking with cripple foot.
THe government of lakes state is dying because they can not be corrected .”If you do what is wrong, you will be severely punished., you will die, if you do not let yourself be corrected.