A prominent SPLM-IG official has rubbished a media report that was published in a local Arabic newspaper on Wednesday, June 2, alleging that the party had suspended members recently appointed to the parliament without due process.  

The official, who spoke to the City Review in confidence, on Thursday, said no decision had been reached to suspend the individuals but their nomination would be rescinded with immediate effect.

“The activities of the members of parliament representing the party were not frozen. The leadership only recommended the return of those who were expelled from parliament even though they were members who came through elections [before independence].”

He revealed the party’s directive was reviewing the list, which it would then submit to the president. In it would be a proposal on the need to return the names of the lawmakers who had been replaced with others. The legislator said that the decision was in tandem with the recommendations of 32 state governors before the country moved to 10 states.

Elections

According to the politician, the lawmakers were voted in to represent their geographical constituencies but were ousted upon the recommendations by the state governors, who passed a verdict that they failed in their legislative mandates.  

“The party leadership recommended reviewing the list of party members in parliament, and recommended the necessity of returning those who were expelled, because they were elected, and it is illogical to expel them.”

He revealed that President Salva Kiir would soon issue a Republican Decree to effect the changes.

He said, “The amended list was presented to the president after it was approved by the party leadership, and it remains only to wait for it to be announced by the president of the republic.”

He appealed to party members who did not win positions to be patient until the next elections, adding the poll is just one year and half away.

He commiserated with some of the individuals who missed the appointments, blaming the complex power-sharing restrictions in the peace agreement as to the main source of their woes.