Rumbek Central officials reject parliamentary seating allotments

By Manyang Mayom

August 13, 2009 (RUMBEK) – The Lakes state Electoral High Committee has rejected the seating allotments made by the National Electoral Commission (NEC), with regard to the National Assembly, the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly as well as the Lakes State Assembly seats for Rumbek Central County, according to a document addressed to NEC Chairman Judge Abel Alier.

The state electoral authority, which is controlled by officials of Rumbek Central County, questioned the rationale behind the NEC’s decision to remove a National Assembly seat from the state. The county’s SPLM Secretary Mayen Kuc said that he is wondering why NEC made a decision alone without consultation.

The county authority’s reaction came as a result of the seat allotments announced from 10th July to 4th August by Nation Electoral Commission (NEC) headed by Abel Alier, that indicated that one of Rumbek Central County’s seats was grabbed and given to Jonglei state on August 4, 2009, based on the claim that Jonglei’s population was higher than Lakes state, said SPLM Chairman of Rumbek Central County Cde. Mangar Matoc Machar.

Machar revealed that Rumbek Central County was allotted two seats at the SSLA, one seat at National Assembly as a single combined constituency with Rumbek North County, and and six seats at the Lakes State Assembly”.

He also added that the SPLM Liberation Council (SLC) of Rumbek Centre County seriously condemns the modalities and criteria used for the distributions of seats as well as the combination of Rumbek Central with Rumbek North County. Kuc affirmed that Rumbek Central County has solidly attained the national dividend required to stand an MP for National Assembly on its own.

Meanwhile, SPLM County chairman Mangar Toch stressed that “If the population census results are used as the basis of constituencies’ allocations, therefore, we in Rumbek Centre County believe that we have met the national dividend good enough to attain two seats at the SSLA without being combined with any other county.”

He also pointed that Rumbek Centre County had a population of 153,550, which divided by two is equal to 76,775 which is beyond the amount needed to qualify for SSLA. The highest requirement is that needed for a seat in the GoNU, which is 80,985. He said that even for this “we qualify without question.”

The lowest dividend needed is for the state assembly, which is 20,391; with regard to this, the county population of 153,550 divided by 7 is equal to 21,935, which qualifies the county for 7 seats.

“Based on the above figures, the SPLM at Rumbek Central County definitely rejects the distributions of seats and merger of our County with Rumbek North County,” said Matoc.

“In accordance with national criterion applied, we wish to acknowledge and approved that the first publication of seating allocations was a fair and just mechanism which gave two seats to Rumbek Central for the SSLA level, one independent seat for National Assembly, while six seats were designated at the State assembly.”

SPLM county secretary Mayen Kuc appealled to the chairman of the National Electoral Commission to reinstate back their seats to Rumbek Central County as well as for Lakes state to reconsider seating allocations to give the county one more seat.

Regarding the Jonglei State gaining extra seat from Lakes, the explanation provided by the NEC was that Jonglei state has the higher populations number than Lakes.

(ST)