The formation of state government in Latjor State, one of South Sudan’s newly created states, is likely to be delayed as the two main coalition partners failed to agree on a power sharing deal over local government positions.
The two major coalition partners, SPLM faction loyal to President Kiir and SPLM-IO group allied to the First Vice President Taban Deng Gai, remained locked in hectic bargaining over distribution of portfolios in Latjor state.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, Elijah Liech Bany, the deputy governor of Latjor State said they had extensive talks on power sharing with the SPLM-IO faction in Nasser but no agreement could be reached regarding distribution of county commissioners.
“The SPLM said they want to appoint commissioners, while from our side as government we said the commissioners belong to us, so this is the problem,” he said.
The deputy governor, who represents Kiir’s group in Nasser, said he had summited a report to the national government in Juba to fine an amicable solution to the deadlock.
“The SPLM leadership and the leadership of the SPLM-IO will look into the issue. We have no problem but the disagreement is over the power sharing because the agreement didn’t talk of power sharing at the level of local government,” he said.
“My report has already reached the president and he will respond after sharing it with the first vice president, so after they agree we will form the government,” he added.
The 2015 peace deal says the council of ministers in each of the three states of Unity, Jonglei and Upper Nile will be divided 46% for the SPLM faction led by Salva Kiir and 40% for the SPLM-IO group.
In the remaining states, according to the peace deal, the SPLM-IO group will take 15% of the executive positions while the government will keep 85% of positions.