A rivalry between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar caused a delay in the selection of the speaker of the transitional national legislative assembly, Kiir told lawmakers on Monday.
A deadline to select a speaker for the legislative assembly was delayed because of “petty political differences and lack of cooperation that occupied much of the working relationship with the former leader of the SPLM/A-IO, my brother, Dr.Riek Machar Teny,” Kiir said.
Kiir pledged his readiness to work and cooperate with the new first vice president, claiming the latter started well.
“I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the new leadership of the SPLM-IO, under the steward leadership of comrade Taban Deng Gai for showing a new spirit of cooperation objectively and commitment” Kiir said.
“This is what was lacking and I pledge to you, my people, that I will work closely with General Taban Deng Gai and his colleagues in SPLM-IO to implement the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in the republic of South Sudan to the spirit and letter in order to rescue the country and people from unbearable situation in which they are in”, he announced.