JUBA, South Sudan
South Sudan President
Salva Kiir's group and the main opposition SPLM-IO have disagreed on how to
divide up the ministries for the new power-sharing government.
According to
the peace deal, the unity government will have 35 ministries split up between
the group of Salva Kiir, the SPLM-IO of Riek Machar, the South Sudan Opposition
Alliance (SSOA), the SPLM-FDs, and other political parties.
Kiir's side
will take 20 ministries, while Machar's group will take nine ministries. The
SSOA will take three ministries, the SPLM-FDs will be given two ministries and
other political parties will get one ministry.
The South
Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) and the Other Political Parties (OPP) said
they had chosen their ministerial portfolios in a meeting held in Juba.
In an
interview with our reporter this afternoon, SPLM-IO Deputy Spokesman Manawa
Peter said they disagreed in a meeting as Kiir's side wants to retain key
ministries in the coalition government.
Manawa says
that the previous government's insistence to retain key ministries is hampering
direct negotiations. "Our negotiations with the government since yesterday
reached a deadlock because they want to retain key ministries,” Manawa said.
“Kiir's side
wants to retain finance, petroleum, defence and interior. The government wants
to allocate ministerial portfolios to the other parties in order to control the
ministries it wants,” he added.
The main
opposition criticized the previous government for giving some ministerial
portfolios to the parties without consultations.
“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 said.
He added,”
We have another meeting later today to discuss the same issue. So, if we fail
to agree on the matter, we will follow what the peace agreement says.”
SPLM
officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The peace
deal explains that each party to the peace agreement will nominate a minister
on a rotational basis if the parties fail to agree on the allocation of
ministerial portfolios. It means the government chooses the first ministry
that it wants, followed by the SPLM-IO which chooses next, then the opposition
alliance, and so on. - Africa
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