South Sudan’s First Vice President Taban Deng Gai criticized members of the national legislature for demanding a pay rise amid the current economic crisis.

“Don’t select yourself because it will cause you problems with the public, so it is better for you to apply it nationwide,” Taban Deng said while addressing members of the SPLM caucus in Juba on Wednesday.

For her part, Acting Secretary General of the SPLM party Jemma Nunu Kumba, said: “The real cause of our problems as a party is that we have deliberately decided not to use the SPLM institutions to address the problem.”

“Even the issue of emoluments and increment must be discussed within the SPLM caucus,” she added.

Atem Garang resigned recently from his position as SPLM chief whip in the parliament in protest against the move by members of the parliament to demand pay rise amid the country’s economic crisis.

He argued that allowances of parliamentarians cannot be improved under the current economic crisis in the country.