Atong Manyuat, speaker of the Gogrial Legislative Assembly, has selected heads of parliamentary committees, including supporters who had helped her gain the top position in the house.
According to the list of new parliamentary officials announced on Tuesday, Atong has appointed Marko Nguet Yai as head of the parliamentary committee responsible for good governance affairs, Tong Majok as head of security committee, and Anei Mawien for economic affairs committee, Akec Liai for information committee.
Other officials include Akuac Ngongdit as the head of women affairs committee, William Ater was selected to occupy the position of the head of parliamentary committee responsible for land and Veronica Simon Baak as head of services, humanitarian, gender affairs committee.
The speaker argued the appointments were based on the recommendations she received from members of parliament and the competence of each member.
“You will never stop getting people calling you and hearing this and that about any development because this is the nature of politics of Gogrial. We have people who participate in something and when they are not appointed, they jump out and say it was done by so and so. The list which was announced was the work of the members themselves.”
“I never did anything alone. The governor just blessed it and I came and I approved the names of the people the members themselves have recommended,” said Atong on Wednesday when asked about the criteria she used to select members for the various specialized committees.
Some of her critics, however, had claimed that the selection was never subjected to consultation, because she knew members would nominate some of her critics to key positions like economics, security, education and governance affair committees.
Gogrial State is one of 28 states created by President Salva Kiir by decree but challenged as unconstitutional by a coalition of opposition parties.
Monitors of the peace agreement have called the creation of the 28 states a “violation” of the peace agreement. Salva Kiir says the 28 states are the demand of the people.
File photo: A street in Kuacjok, capital of Warrap State, which is now divided into Gogrial State, Tonj State and Twic State