The People’s Liberal Party (PLP) in South Sudan criticised the appointment of seven parliamentarians as representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly by President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Thursday, March 9.
“The appointment by presidential decree undermined the democratic principles and processes of election,” a PLP press release dated March 13 states, adding that the appointment by decree “violated the operational principles of the East Africa treaty”.
“The appointment was based on a presidential decree and no elections were conducted by the South Sudan parliament as prescribed by the procedures in East Africa Treaty,” the release signed by party leader Peter Mayen states.
“We call on the EAC Council of Minister and Speaker of the EAC Assembly to immediately revoke and impede the appointments,” the release states, calling upon the EAC heads of state “to pressure the administration of South Sudan to abide by the treaty of the EAC”.
East African heads of state agreed to admit South Sudan as its sixth member state during a summit in Tanzania, held in November 2016. Part of the obligations to become a full member of the East African Community (EAC) is to second representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly.
Photo: PLP leader Peter Mayen during an African Liberal Network meeting in South Africa. (Personal photo Peter Mayen)