Juba, South Sudan,
August 04, 2021 – The Other Political Parties (OPP) have renewed calls on President Salva Kiir to withdraw the ministerial portfolio of its chairman Peter Mayen Majongdit over self-misconduct.
Mayen, who is the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, has caught public attention with many controversies related to gender-based violence.
In April, Mayen admitted that his bodyguards fired gunshots in Aweil to disperse the crowd who shielded his wife – a footballer – from forcefully being withdrawn from the pitch on the minister’s order.
In a separate incident, Mayen had an arrest warrant issued against him by the police in July for stabbing his wife nicknamed Aluel Messi with a knife.
Kornelio Kon Ngu, the leader of the National Alliance of Political Parties and a leading member of the OPP said the actions of Mayen rendered him unworthy of the ministerial post he currently holds.
“His actions are not worthy of political parties and we pushed for another candidate, but the President of the Republic asked us to wait until the process is completed, the peaceful formation of parliament,” he said.
However, Mr. Mayen on Wednesday rubbished the calls for his removal as the minister of humanitarian affairs saying it is against the peace and that those spearheading the move did not participate in the peace negotiations.
“The speech was made by some members of the alliance of Other Political Parties, parties that did not participate in the peace negotiations and did not understand the agreement. I call on all politicians from all parties to stop political propaganda as this does not help South Sudan,” Mayen was quoted by Radio Tamazuj to have said.
Mr. Ngu also weighed in on the position of OPP in the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly saying the leaders resolved to share the parliamentary seats in the presence of the Presidential Adviser on national security Tut Gatluak Manime.
“Peter Mayen boycotted the meeting and insisted that the previous list should not be relinquished. But we divided the seats among the parties with a share of 10 seats for the three parties within the umbrella of parties,” he said.
He added, “We decided that the previous list would be withdrawn, so that Majongdit would submit 10 names, and that the other parliamentarians would be appointed. So the appointment of the 30 members to the Council of States and the parliament will take place at any time.”
