The Speaker of the Abyei Special Administrative Area has stated that there is no authority requiring the Abyei Legislative Assembly to cross-check the government’s performance regarding the utilization of public funds.
Dr. Yak Deng, Speaker of the Abyei Legislative Assembly, told Radio Tamazuj on Friday the Abyei Chief Administrators have restricted the legislative members from exercising their oversight role.
“For over four years, the Abyei Legislative Assembly has not been able to carry out its duties. It was functional during Chief Administrator Kuol Alor’s tenure, but when he was replaced by the current chief, Dr. Chol Deng Alaak, the Assembly was not convened,” he explained.
“It’s incredibly disappointing. The same scenario unfolded during the tenure of former Chief Administrator Kuol Diem. He also neglected to convene the Assembly until his removal. Then, the former Chief Administrator, Dr. Chol Deng, was reappointed, and I personally encountered him in Juba. It became clear to me, and to everyone else, that he holds the same stance as before: he does not want the Assembly to function, just as he demonstrated in 2015. His opposition to the parliament is widely recognized,” Deng further elaborated.
Deng believes that the issue of the Abyei parliament is well-known to the Council of States, the second-highest legislative body in South Sudan responsible for the affairs of the ten states and administrative areas, including Abyei. He also pointed out that the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party’s national office is aware of the matter but has chosen to turn a deaf ear to resolving it.
“The National Council of States and even the SPLM national office are aware of the situation. The Abyei parliament is a part of the SPLM, yet our grievances regarding the executive’s actions receive no attention. It’s within the prerogative of the Chief Administrator (CA) or governor to convene the assembly, and unfortunately, there’s little we can do about it. There’s a lack of interest in oversight in South Sudan, and that’s the primary reason,” he lamented.
Speaker Deng refutes claims that the Assembly leadership is actively functioning in the area. However, he acknowledged that members of parliament do receive their monthly dues.
“The specialized committees of the Assembly are not operational in Abyei. What the Minister of Information stated is false. How can independent standing committees function when there are no assembly sessions to oversee issues affecting the local communities?” Speaker Yak clarified.
“The members of the Abyei Legislative Assembly continue to receive their salaries on a monthly basis because the Chief Administrator lacks the constitutional authority or power to dissolve the assembly structure. He cannot expel Members of Parliament (MPs), but this situation is indeed very unusual,” he stated.
For his part, Bulis Koch, the Abyei Minister for Information and also the spokesperson for the Abyei area, stated that preparations are underway to convene the Assembly and resume their oversight role.
“The parliament is supposed to operate according to the laws of South Sudan. However, for the Abyei parliament, the Speaker is based in Juba and has grievances with the former Chief Administrator of Abyei, Hon. Kuol Diem, as well as with the current chief administrator. The Speaker is unwilling to come to Abyei and refuses to resign. Nevertheless, we are exploring all possible alternatives to make the assembly functional. The Speaker met with the chief administrator during the governors’ forum in Juba, and these discussions are part of our efforts to resolve grievances,” he explained.
He further explained, “While the Assembly itself is not currently operational, the heads of specialized committees are still functioning. We are currently making preparations to ensure that the Abyei parliament can resume its work. We cannot overlook the challenges that the assembly is facing, so once the speaker is available, we believe things will start to fall into place.”