S. Sudan opposition denies constitutional review split
January 25, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s largest opposition party has expressed disappointment over its low representation on the commission that is redrafting the young nation’s constitution.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – Democratic Change (SPLM-DC) has argued that it should have been one of the nine permanent positions and two of the six part-time positions on the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC).
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The mass media announced this evening the text of a Republican Decree appointing Mr Sisto Olur Erista, the Secretary General of SPLM-DC, to the membership of the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) representing the Party.
It is to be noted that SPLM-DC had nominated in January last year a representative to the NCRC on the understanding that he was to be one of the nine (9) permanent members of the Commission. However, when the names of the members of the Commission were announced, our nominee was not appointed to the permanent membership. We wrote to the President of the Republic to correct this anomaly but nothing happened. Therefore, SPLM-DC decided to withdraw its nominee and has never nominated a replacement. All this time the NCRC has been operating without SPLM-DC being represented therein.
It is worth mentioning that six (6) seats of the permanent membership have been taken over by the SPLM. There is no reason why the SPLM-DC, which enjoys the second largest number of elected members in the National Legislative Assembly, should not get at least one seat among the three (3) remaining permanent seats.
We would like to inform the public that the Republican Decree came as a surprise to us. SPLM-DC is still waiting for the President of the Republic to inform the Party that its just demand above will be met. Then and only then would the Party be in a position to nominate representatives to the National Constitutional Review Commission.
South Sudan’s official opposition party on Friday denied there is an internal dispute over who should have been nominated into the constitutional review process.
The leadership of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC) describing allegations of a division as “political concoctions”.
“There is no division within SPLM-DC leadership. There are some elements with hidden political agenda go around spreading lies that there is internal dispute but they will not succeed”, Anyoti Adigo, leader of the SPLM-DC’s in South Sudan’s parliament said.
Last week President Salva Kiir Mayardit appointed the SPLM-DC’s Acting Secretary General, Sistor Olur Erista as one of the nine permanent members of the National Constitutional Review Committee (NCRC).
Erista denied on Friday reports that he put himself forward for the position without the support of his party, claiming that he had been nominated last year
The SPLM-DC had expected to be given one permanent position and one part-time position but when the appointments were initially announced last week only picked Yoahnes Akol Ajawin as a part-time member.
Adigo said he was not aware of Erista’s nomination explaining that the SPLM-DC’s nominations had been rejected by South Sudan’s ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
“The SPLM-DC leadership was ready to compromise and accept two of its cadres in the Commission; one full-time and the other part-time but President [Kirr] picked the former Justice and current lawyer, Yoahnes Akol Ajawin, from the SPLM-DC nominees and appointed him as part-time member only. The leadership of SPLM-DC objected to it and wrote an appeal to the President while holding Mr. Yoannes not to take an oath. One year went without response until when we were again surprised of the relieving Yoannes and replacing him with Mr. Sisto Olur, the acting SG of SPLM-DC”, he explained.
He said the SPLM-DC leadership resolved that if there is none of their cadre appointed to permanent membership of the Constitution Review Commission, the SPLM-DC will not participate in part-time membership.
The opposition equally in its release last week questioned rationality for which the ruling Sudan people’s Liberation Movement took six (6) seats of the permanent membership.
“There is no reason why the SPLM-DC, which enjoys the second largest number of elected members in the National Legislative Assembly, should not get at least one seat among the three (3) remaining permanent seats. We would like to inform the public that the Republican Decree came as a surprise to us. SPLM-DC is still waiting for the President of the Republic to inform the Party that its demand will be met. Then and only then would the Party be in a position to nominate representatives to the National Constitutional Review Commission”, the release reads in part.
(ST)