The speaker of the legislative assembly in South Sudan’s Gok State has been impeached by lawmakers.
The decision was made during an extraordinary sitting held in Cueibet town this week.
“In accordance with provisions of the regulation 95 (1) of Gok State legislative assembly conduct of business regulations 2016, Gok State legislative assembly, in its extra-ordinary sitting No.1/2019 during the recess of the third session dated 30th of July 2019, with capacity of 16 members discussed a motion for the removal of the speaker of Gok State legislative assembly and unanimously passed a resolution for the removal of Veronica Umjuma Philip Dak from the speakership,” the assembly’s letter reads in part.
The impeachment letter was signed by acting speaker, Zachakaria Riak Mathen.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj from Juba on Thursday, Veronia Umjuma Dak accused the state governor, Madhang Majok Meen of instigating her removal from the speakership yet majority of MPs are on recess.
“It was an illegal procedure from the governor to order the few MPs present in the state to remove me, but majority of the MPs rejected the governor’s illegal plan and procedures to remove me,” she said.
“I am in Juba because the state lawmakers are still on recess. I am in Juba to follow up on issues relating to car loans for MPs,” she added.
Dak insisted that she is still the state assembly’s speaker.
Meanwhile, the State Information Minister, John Madol Panther Madol denied the governor’s involvement in oversight functions of the assembly which saw the speaker removed.
“The governor went to the state assembly to discuss the general security situation with the MPs and not to influence them to remove the speaker from her position,” Madol said.
He stressed that MPs carried out their mandatory functions based on the state assembly’s conduct of business regulations, without any interference from the executive to remove the speaker and name her successor.
Zachariah Riak Mathen, the acting speaker of the assembly, confirmed that the MPs had passed a vote of no confidence against the speaker.
“It is a normal procedure of the assembly’s conduct of business regulations,” he said.
Riak explained that the speaker was having charges related to documents that she presented in Juba without their knowledge.
“It was a reaction from the State assembly MPs, because she went and presented documents on behalf of Gok State MPs,” he said.
The total number of the state MPs is 21.