The speaker of the Northern Bahr al Ghazal Legislative Assembly said that the house will commence its 8th session in Aweil on Monday whether or not the governor is present.
“If he refuses to come in the opening ceremony I will do it by my powers in the constitution,” assembly speaker Issac Makay Ayok said on Friday. “The reason why we want the executive to witness the activities of the opening is to bring goverement plans and policies, but we have got all of that.”
The assembly has been on recess for three months amid a political power struggle between Caretaker Governor Kuel Aguer Kuel and his rival former state governor Paul Malong who has held onto the chairmanship of the state’s SPLM party.
The recess was meant to end two weeks ago, but Caretaker Governor Kuel was not present as he has been in Juba since Malong’s supporters controversially impeached him.
Kuel’s deputy, acting governor Salva Chol Ayat, said at the time he was not ready to open the session and asked for an extra two weeks to prepare.