Newly elected Lakes state speaker calls for cooperation
November 1, 2013 (RUMBEK) – The newly elected speaker of the Lakes State Legislative Assembly on Friday chaired his first session since his he was sworn into office last weekend.
Baipath Majuec Rielpou was elected on Saturday at a caucus meeting for members of the SPLM – South Sudan’s ruling party – in Lakes state. MPs asked the assembly’s speaker to forcefully resign, ending weeks of political bickering.
The new speaker called for cooperation from the members of parliament and other state bodies.
“From now onwards, I am going to create atmosphere where my people must cooperate and this cooperation is what I requested from MPs to do, of course there are certain things which led us to remove our Speaker. I will try to work in harmony with [the] assembly, I will not interfere into their affairs, I am there to lead the assembly and to give every chance to every member to say what is right because it is democratic country and this is why parliament is there,” he said.
In Friday’s assembly meeting, the new speaker directed the parliament’s leadership to “build trust and forgiveness” within their cycle of leadership and he urge peaceful atmosphere to be provide to Lakes state populations.
Baipath said that “forgiveness, trust and teamwork are most important […] let us cooperate with law and build a trust with our community.”
(ST)