N. Bahr el Ghazal assembly names new speaker

December 1, 2014 (JUBA) – Members of South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal state assembly on Monday unanimously elected Isaac Makau Ayok as their new speaker.

The new assembly speaker will be deputised by Akoon Diing Angok.

Ayok replaces Monica William Achol who spent barely a year as assembly speaker.

Achol became speaker following the removal last year of Athiang Manok Athiang over his controversial remarks in which he described national assembly lawmakers as “crooks” and “betrayers” for rejecting the president’s legal advisor, Telar Riing Deng.

Angok Achuol, a state lawmaker, said the assembly leadership was dissolved after his counterparts unanimously supported the decision.

“Members voted unanimously to dissolve the leadership and asked an elderly person in the house according to the conduct of business regulations to step in and oversee the elections of the new leadership,” Achuol told Sudan Tribune by phone.

“It was during this process that the members unanimously agreed to elect honourable Isaac Makau Ayok as the new speaker and honourable Akoon Diing Angok as the deputy,” he added.

(ST)