Kiir orders SPLM in Lakes state to hold meeting to resolve differences

September 26, 2013 (RUMBEK) – South Sudanese president Salva Kiir Mayardit concluded his two day visit to Rumbek, the capital of Lakes state on Thursday, after instructing top officials to hold a meeting to resolve their diffences.

Members from South Sudan’s ruling party – the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – held a closed door meeting with the president at Palm Tree Hotel in Rumbek Central county to address power struggle within SPLM MPs in the Lakes State Legislative Assembly.

A group of 34 lawmakers have attempted to impeach the parliament’s speaker, John Marik Makur, for corruption and allowing harsh security measures to be introduced. However, president Kiir warned against such internal divisions and called for better cooperation between MPs and other members of the party within the central state.

Kiir directed the chairman of the SPLM in Lakes state, Daniel Awet Akot, to call for the party’s State Liberation Council (SLC) to conduct an urgent meeting to iron out party differences within two days.

The SPLM’s acting secretary general Dr. Anne Itto is reported to be working to provide the finances to allow the meeting to be held.

“I need cooperation and unity among you” Kiir told SPLM members and MPs.

In 2008 when a group of MPs in Lakes state opposed the former speaker Isaiah Alier Machinkok president Kiir forced him and his main rival Bullent Kot to both resign from their positions after MPs loyal to Kot seized control of the state parliament for 13 days.

In September 2012 speaker Makur was criticised by MPs for not allowing the parliament to amend the assembly’s conduct of business.

At the time Marik Nanga Marik, who represents Rumbek North county told Sudan Tribune that Lakes State parliament was not acting democratically and setting a bad example to the public.

(ST)

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