Juba, South Sudan,
May 15, 2021 — A score of disgruntled parties under the umbrella of Other Opposition Parties (OPP) accused Peter Mayen Majongdit, leader of the umbrella, of endorsing close relatives for parliamentary appointment in the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly.
USAP, ANC, UDSF, and UDF alleged that Mr. Mayen forwarded different names as opposed to ones on the agreed list.
The parties say they could withdraw their membership from R-ARCISS should major signatories to the agreement default on replacing Mayen’s relatives with true OPP representatives to ensure inclusivity of the peace process as provided for by the revitalized agreement.
“It is true because the list of nominees made by the OPP leaders was actually replaced or changed by his list that he (Mayen) brought outside OPP. So, it is true that those whom he nominated are merely his relatives, including his mother, brothers, sisters, and his friends” said Albino Akol Atak, OPP Spokesperson who doubles as Secretary-General of the African National Congress.
“Exclusion of others is contrary to the inclusivity that the agreement is calling for. It is a great violation and those people who are left out may consider themselves that they don’t belong to the agreement. If it continues, it will actually bring a real crack to the agreement,” Akol continued.
Mr. Akol was speaking to Nyamilepedia on Friday on behalf of the four political parties.
Mayen did not respond to the claim as several phone calls previously went but later answered by a different person who said the minister was away.
“The honorable minister is not around,” the person said without mentioning his name on Friday afternoon.
President Salva Kiir Mayardit on May 10th, reconstituted the parliament in accordance with the provisions of the revitalized peace accord to include representatives of opposition groups signatories to the agreement.
According to Chapter One of September 2018 on the responsibility-sharing principle, parliament shall be expanded from 400 to 550 including Council of States from 50 to 100.
The former Transitional Government shall nominate 332 representatives, the SPLM-IO shall nominate 128 while the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) to have 50 representatives, OPP shall have 30 representatives, and the former detainees to have 10 members.
There has been continuous disagreement among parties under the umbrella of OPP over appointing representatives to the revitalized government.
In 2020, some members of the OPP disagreed with the appointment of Mayen saying his appointment was a surprise because he was not the desired candidate of the group.
