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By Ngor Arol Garang
May 5, 2011 (ABYEI) - South Sudan’s ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) on Friday said it has rejected consultative discussions with opposition parties over the interim constitution of the region, which will become independent on July 9 following a referendum earlier this year.
- A supporter of SPLM, leader Salva Kiir, listens to his speech during a political rally in Juba on April 9, 2010 – (Getty)
Five opposition political parties walked out of the two day consultative political parties leadership forum held in Juba, claiming the constitution was drafted to satisfy interest of the SPLM and gives more powers to the president without providing for power sharing with opposition parties.
John Luk Jok, a minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development of the government of South Sudan dismissed the claims and described the political parties leadership forum as a consultative forum from which south political leaders consult among themselves on pressing political matters of the region. However, he said that suggestions made members of the forum could be passed or reject and any work done by the technical committee.
"The claims by some opposition political parties do not have grounds. They want the constitution to be amended so that it includes them in terms of power sharing. They need power sharing to be included in the constitution. They are also claiming the interim period is long and that it should be reduced to 2 years which is not acceptable," said Jok, an interview with Sudan Tribune from the regional capital of South Sudan, Juba, on Thursday.
Jok further accused some of the opposition political parties of rejecting inclusion of the contested oil-producing region of Abyei into the interim constitution of South Sudan, arguing that the political parties’ leadership forum had no authority to amend the constitution or legal mandate to pass. The minister further said although some political parties walked out of the meeting.
"Although some political [parties] walked out of the meeting, 19 others including the SPLM remained behind to conclude consultation of the constitution and that the meeting did not end in complete disagreement but rather, one group walked out of the meeting".
"These parties agreed on inclusion of Abyei as part of South Sudan in the transitional constitution, transitional period to be 4 years before we go for the next election and those south political parties will continue to negotiate with the president of the Republic of South Sudan on how best to form a broad base government. This was what was agreed by 19 parties who are the majority," explained minister Jok who was the chairman of 54 member constitutional review committee.
Gabriel Changson Chang, the leader of the opposition political parties said in a separate interview his party was one of the 19 political parties which walk out of consultative political parties’ leadership Forum.
"Yes, some political [parties] walked out of the consultative political parties leaders forum because they have their own observations on the constitution. My party did not walk out of the political parties’ leadership forum. It was one of the 19 parties which remained behind to continuous with consultations with other political parties," said Changson in a brief interview with Sudan Tribune on Thursday.
Bol Makueng, a Secretary of Information, Culture and Communications with the SPLM, said opposition political led by the splinter movement Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change - a group he termed as Kenana Alliance Political parties - walked out of the political parties’ leadership forum because they wanted powers sharing to be included into the constitution
"Some of the political parties walked out of the political parties’ leadership forum because they demanded that the power sharing be constitutional. The constitutional power sharing is always done between two warring parties but not with in a democratic setting," said Makueng.
"The 19 political parties including SPLM agreed on inclusion of Abyei as part of South Sudan in the transitional Constitution, transitional period to be 4 years before we go for the next election and those Southern political parties will liaise with the president of the Republic of South Sudan to form a broad base government. The rest of the issues were to be submitted to the Council of Ministers of government of Southern Sudan and Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly for consideration because they are the only legal body mandated to discuss amend and pass the new constitution," he explained.
Lam Akol, the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change, in a separate interview with Sudan Tribune, said the parties walked out from the forum because the draft transitional constitution for the new nation of South Sudan was crafted to satisfy one political party, the SPLM.
"The political parties walked out of the consultative forum because there was no consultation. Their views were not respected so it was meaningless to stay in the forum,” said Akol.
"It is an exclusive constitution. It gives more power to president. It concentrates power in the hands of the president, such as the power to remove governors and dissolution of the state assemblies. The appointment of state ministers with approval of the president and failed to mention date on which next general elections would be held. This is a clear violation of the resolution of Southern Sudanese Political Parties Conference.”
“The constitution did not also mention presidential term limits and there is no provision for power sharing with political parties," explained Akol saying there are a lot of things that needed to be amended in the constitution.
(ST)
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