South Sudan’s upper house invalidates firing members of N. Bahr el Ghazal parliament
October 1, 2012 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s upper house on Monday said it has passed a unanimous resolution invalidating a gubernatorial order dismissing six members of parliament in the state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal.
The house also passed a resolution reinstating former state speaker, Aguer Wol Aguer, who was removed from the chair during a vote he boycotted in July, describing the act as unconstitutional.
The South Sudan’s governing Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) branch office in the state in July issued a letter of dismissal to six Members of Parliament, charging them with disloyalty and underground cooperation with members from other political parties against members of the ruling party in the house.
Former education and agriculture ministers, Kuac Wek Wol and Deng Deng Akuei were among those the party served with dismissal letters. Other members included Vicky Nyanut Urach, Achak Deng Thiep, Andrea Lual Buola and Hakima Ali Malek.
Speaking in an interview with Sudan Tribune on Monday, Lewis Vito Akuar, a member of council heading parliamentary committee responsible for information and communications said the house had passed a resolution reinstating all the six members of parliament and the speaker of the state house.
Akuar explained that the Council of States made the decision based on a report dispatched to the state in August. The house decided to reinstate the members because, “there were no legal grounds to substantiating that members had changed their loyalties to their party.”
“Also there were no grounds proofing that the allegations labeled on them about underground cooperation with members from other political parties”, explained Akuar.
The legislator explained that the work of the house is to ensure relevant authorities in all states observed follows and respect laws by applying them in right and procedural manner.
He said the house was impelled to write to the Governor calling for the “unconstitutional” dismissals to be reconsidered.
(ST)