SOUTH SUDAN OPPOSITION UPSET OVER ALLOCATION OF CABINET POSTS

By Our Correspondent, Juba SOUTH SUDAN

Discontent in the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) over ministerial allocations came to the fore today, multiple sources said.

The sources told our reporter that the opposition coalition is unhappy about the ministerial portfolios allocated to it, after Kiir's side and SPLM-IO agreed to divide up the ministries for the unity government.

 “We are not happy with what is going on. We will meet to take a decision on whether or not to accept the portfolios given to us,” a senior member of SSOA said.

He added,” We reject the recent selection of ministerial portfolios because the cabinet posts that were allocated to SSOA last week are now changed. Also, we have not been given any governorship position.”

Last week, SSOA said it picked the ministries of Peace Building, Agriculture and Food Security, and the Ministry of Public Services and Human Resources Development. It also chose the position of deputy minister of interior.

For his part, SPLM-IO deputy spokesman Manawa Peter Gatkuoth blamed the opposition alliance for accepting ministerial portfolios allocated to it by Kiir's side without wider consultations.

“SSOA made a mistake when it accepted some ministerial positions allocated to it by the government last week. The best practice is to include all the parties to the peace agreement in the selection of ministerial portfolios,” he said.

 He added, “The opposition alliance should not blame us. SSOA has to go back to resolve its problem with the government."

The SPLM-IO announced on Thursday that it will takeover the crucial defense ministry and has been given a leeway to nominate ministers for the ministries of petroleum, mining, water and irrigation, energy and dams, gender, federal affairs, peace building, and health.

According to the 2018 peace deal, the transitional government consists of 35 ministries, which are to be split up between the group of President 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.