Latest: Parties hit deadlock over allocation of key ministerial portfolios
Former Vice-president and Chairman of the SPLM-IO, Dr. Riek Machar Teny and South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit (Photo:Supplied)
February 27, 2020 (SSNN)–The South Sudan government and the main opposition group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – IO, have now reached a dead end on how to divide and allocate key ministerial positions, such as the ministries of oil, finance, and defense.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Manawa Peter Gatkoth, deputy spokesman for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-IO, confirmed that the disagreement emerged after the government had argued and insisted to maintain three key ministerial portfolios including the Ministry of Petroleum, a position allocated to the SPLM-IO in 2016.
“Our negotiations with the government since yesterday reached a deadlock because they want to retain key ministries,” Manawa was quoted by Radio Tamazuj as saying.
“Kiir’s side wants to retain finance, petroleum, defense and interior. The government wants to allocate ministerial portfolios to the other parties in order to control the ministries it wants,” he added.
In line with the 2018 peace agreement, the government and the opposition are supposed to divide 35 ministries, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-IO can take nine ministries, the government was to assume 20 ministries, SSOA with 3 ministries, FDs with two ministries and other political Parties with one ministry.
The main opposition faction blamed Kiir’s side for assigning ministries to other opposition parties without their knowledge, saying the move was against the terms of the peace agreement.
“We are aware that the government has already allocated some ministries to the other parties without consultations with us. The move is against the peace agreement and we don’t recognize the process that took place. The key ministries must be split up between the parties to the peace agreement equally so that we can achieve reforms,” he added.
Facebook Comments