South Sudan’s Minister of Agriculture Lam Akol says President Salva Kiir’s SPLM faction is trying to interpret provisions of the signed peace agreement to favour its own interest.
In an interview with Radio Tamazuj, Akol, who also heads a non-armed opposition alliance that has joined the transitional government, blamed the SPLM faction led by Salva Kiir for delay in the formation of a transitional parliament.
“The problem is with the SPLM faction in the government, because it wants to interpret the provisions of the agreement in its own way contrary to the agreement,” said Akol.
“The parliament talks of how the speaker of the parliament can be elected. So they say, no, what is mentioned in the agreement does not mean election, but rather selection, so it isan argument which is meaningless,” he added.
According to the opposition leader, parliament’s role is not limited to passing of laws and budgets only, but also monitoring of the transitional unity government in South Sudan.
However, Akol said dialogue is still underway between all parties in order to solve these problems, pointing out that there are no other alternatives other than implementation of the peace agreement.
For his part, Ateny Wek Ateny, South Sudan’s presidential spokesman, said the peace agreement makes it clear that the position of parliamentary speaker must be given to the SPLM faction led by Kiir.
He explained that the position serves as compensation after Vice President James Wani Igga decided to give his position to armed opposition leader Riek Machar.
“Its interpretation is very clear, the speaker of the parliament was given to Equatorians because Wani Igga decided to step down from his position as first vice president, so the speaker was given to them because they loss this position in the government,” said Ateny.
Ateny pointed out that the president’s SPLM faction has the right to appoint any Equtorian as the speaker of the transitional parliament in accordance with the peace agreement in South Sudan.
Addressing members of his SPLM faction yesterday, President Salva Kiir expressed doubts about the loyalty of his own SPLM members of parliament, suggesting that they may select a speaker of parliament whom he does not approve.
“Our members of the parliament who are here should go and talk among themselves. Because we are told now that why don’t you put it to elections? And you have the majority. I said no, I don’t want it, and even I don’t trust your majority. Yes, you have two-thirds in the parliament but if one-third goes and defects, what will happen? Well they will just give it to the other side. This is what we don’t want,” Kiir said.