Taban Deng allies now run to IGAD over state appointments

The Members of Parliament allied to the Third Vice President Taban Deng have petitioned IGAD Special Envoy to South Sudan Dr. Ismail Waise urging for an intervention over state appointments they have termed unfair.

In the petition dated February 25, the lawmakers argued that six presidential decrees issued to appoint state officers in six states were unlawful as envisaged by the peace deal. The recent presidential appointments have been made in Central Equatoria State; Unity State; Northern Baher El Ghazal State; Warrap State; Jonglei State and Western Baher El Ghazal State.

For instance, the legislators argue that the presidential decrees sneaked SPLM-IG into the matrix without being an initial signatory.

The petition read: ‘‘The Decrees have violated the R- ARCSS in the following aspects. First Decree No:11 has introduced a new party to the agreement which has been referred to as IG and IG has taken all the positions in Central Equatoria State.’’

‘‘Subsequent Decree nos: 12; 13; 14; 15 and 16 have replaced IG with ITGONU but yet those decrees have committed the same mistake as Decree No:11 did in that they have systematically excluded nominees of the former SPLM/A-IO led by Gen. Taban Deng Gai from the formation of all the state and local governments in the country.’’

In their earlier petition to the president, the legislators called on the Head of State to stop the appointments and heed to their plea.

“We were represented because we were SPLM-IO and in this agreement we should also be represented because we are part of the Incumbent Transitional Government of the National Unity,’’ he said.

“We are appealing to the president to stop this process so that our share in the government is included before going forward with the rest of the formation of the government in the states, or even the parliament.”