Warrap parliament split over new cabinet

November 4, 2013 (JUBA) – Members of Warrap state legislative assembly have been split by the Governor Nyandeng Malek’s decision to swear in her new cabinet which some officials in the state said amounted to bypassing the parliamentary vetting process.

The local branch of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) had called for the boycott of the swearing in ceremony citing a lack of consultation and under- representation of women.

A government official said members of the legislative assembly were left split by the decision of the Governor to swear in the cabinet despite protests from some quarters.

“The house could not forge a common understanding today because there were some members who were supporting the decision of the governor because, according to them, it was not a complete cabinet reshuffle. So they said that there was no need to reject the government. The other group wanted the entire cabinet to be rejected”, the government official told Sudan Tribune on Monday.

The Speaker of the state assembly, Moses Madot Dut Deng, said swearing of the new cabinet did not violate the constitutional.

“There was no constitutional violation because it was just minor changes. The governor removed only four ministers which is a normal practice. It happened in the past and there was no problem. So we do not have any problem with that as the assembly’’ Deng said on Monday.

‘‘The dispute now is between the governor and the SPLM because the deputy chairperson was the advisor on peace and reconciliation but he became angry when he was reshuffled out of the new cabinet. This angered him and he decided to cause an unnecessary situation,’’ said the Speaker.

But Kuel Akec, an assistant Secretary for research with the SPLM at the State secretariat denied that the deputy SPLM chairperson in the state, Andrew Kuac Mayol, had acted that way because of being dropped from cabinet.

“It is not true that the acting SPLM chairperson, comrade Andrew Kuac Mayol acted so because he was removed from the cabinet. He was only responding to the decision of the entire leadership. There is no way he could not accept to sign resolutions made by the SPLM leadership in the state’’, said Kuel Akech.

According to Akech, many are unhappy with the Governor.

‘‘The decision of the governor is unpopular and you could have seen it from the faces our people on the street if you were in Kuacjok. People are not happy at all,” said Akech, speaking from Kuacjok town, capital of the state.

James Macok, a member of the state parliament also expressed disappointed with the Governor.

“The governor defied request of the party asking her to take the new cabinet for scrutiny and went ahead telling the people it is the SPLM leadership in the state to follow her if they want, and not her. It is everywhere that members of the party are scrutinized and told what to do for the interest of the party in any government’’, said Macok, also was speaking to Sudan Tribune from Kuacjok.

(ST)