July 16, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — As Juba prepares to announce a new cabinet, the SPLM [IO] representative to the Caribbean States, Hon. Philip Gai Lony, calls on Salva Kiir and his current administration to step aside as their term has expired.
Like many members in the Opposition, Hon. Philip believes that peace under Salva Kiir is impossible.
“So in order for this great nation to attain peace, unity and reconciliation, Salva Kiir must resign and go!” He said.
Speaking to Nyamilepedia editorial team, the SPLM representative to Caribbean states strongly condemns the extension of Salva Kiir’s presidency, adding that the country is now in constitutional crisis as Salva Kiir continues to impose himself against the democratic will of the people.
“The SPLM head office in the Caribbean States condemns in the strongest term possible the extension of Salva Kiir’s term to stay in power for three more years.” Philip said.
“The Transitional Constitution of South Sudan is in crisis as the South Sudan legislative Assembly doesn’t have such power to extend Kiir’s presidency.” he continued.
According to South Sudan’s transitional constitution, the tenure for the elected national legislatures, which was mandated for four years, expired in March 2015 as new general elections were expected, and the membership expired on July 9th, 2015.
The SPLM in Opposition do not recognize the extension of the term of presidency arguing that the extension of Salva Kiir’s term is unconstitutional and also undermines democracy in the young state.
“The given extension term to the president of South Sudan is unconstitutional and exhibit violation of democratic system principals.” Hon. Philip adds.
According to Deputy Chairperson of National Committee for Justice and Human Rights for the opposition, Hon. Dong Samuel Luak, Salva Kiir was never elected as a president of the Republic of South Sudan.
“Him [Kiir] also assuming president through illegal processes because in the transitional constitution he was not an elected president of the Republic of South Sudan. His mandate ended with the implementation of the CPA, which was marked by the votes of our people who decided that we should have an independent republic call South Sudan” Justice Dong explains.
Mr. Dong explains that Salva Kiir was mandated through transitional constitution in 2011, as an extension of the expired CPA mandate, to lead the country for four years after which a new president or Kiir would have been elected by the citizens.
“So there would have been a new mandate now by the people but he decided to abuse the powers and he ascended his term of office, and sworn himself in as the president of the Republic of South Sudan without the electoral commission declaring him as the president of South Sudan and without the people giving him another mandate.” Dong, the former Secretary General of South Sudan Law Society, explains.
The officials reiterate that Mr. Kiir does not have any mandate to run the country any more.
“Salva Kiir‘s term as president actually expired since May/2015, he has lost legitimacy and is no longer a legitimate president.” Hon. Philip continued.
The SPLM [IO] head office to Caribbean calls on IGAD, TROIKA and the United Nations to intervene and denounce Salva Kiir’s continuation of office.
“Therefore, the SPLM office in the Caribbean States urges all the peace loving Democratic Nations including UN, AU, IGAD – PLUS MEDIATION and TROIKA to quickly intervene and help denouncing the illegitimacy of Salva Kiir as president of the Republic of South Sudan.”
“Salva Kiir is a dictator who only likes war, but not peace. The people of South Sudan are tired and desperate to have peace and prosperity and yet Salva Kiir was unable to unite this great nation.” Mr. Gai continued.
Concern about the civil population, Mr. Gai reminds the international community of the suffering of the South Sudanese people who are displaced from their homes to overcrowded IDPs and refugees camps across the region.
“People are currently dying in his watch while more than two million people are displaced from their home seeking shelter in the neighboring countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda) with severe food shortage and lack of proper medical attention; Some of these refugees live in the country with life threatening situations specially those who are in Juba, Bentiu, Bor and Malakal.” The representative to Caribbean states said.
South Sudan conflict, which broke out in the capital in mid December 2013 as a result of internal conflicts within the ruling party, SPLM, has devastated the young country and affected the region.
The newly independent state leads the world’s most volatile states with little hopes that stability could be restored very soon.
Reports from Juba allege that processes are under way for the incumbent to announce a new cabinet.
According to the insiders, Salva Kiir may reward strategic positions such as deputy president in his next cabinet to members of former political detainees to buy back the loyalty of the exiled politicians and to lure members of the armed opposition, SPLM/SPLA.
7 comments
The so-called SPLM-IO can not tell president Kiir not to reshuffles the government because the government is not for Kiir,it is the government of South Sudan
Agumut,
Let’s be realistic. From when was this government of South Sudan? It has always been a government of SPLM and now it is government of Dinkas and Equatorians under Salva Kiir.
Mr Gai you’re the representative of the SPLM IO company, it’s a richest company in the world. you need to call on kiir to stop forming his government, what you want is to talk to CEO Riek Machar to buy you ticket to go to Juba and tell to persistent Kiir personally not to form his government.
You are a lonely wolf remember? So go to Alaska to joint your group in the mountain. This site belong to human not animals. And for info,South Sudan has no legitimate government after 08/07/2015. Yet kirr committing more ever violation and killing civilians in any way. Salva case was closed long ago.
It is not the government for South Sudanese. If Kiir term was extended by Parliament what mandated him to reshuffle governors whom mandate was extended for three yrs too? Kiir must go, he made coup against people of South Sudan and its constitution by continue to rule this country under constitutional crisis
you’re right Goweng Torbaar any one who made coup must go, as Riek made coup against government of south Sudan then Riek Machar must leave SPLM IO.
A very one sided argument not mention brutal unwarranted attacks or comments rather to be fair where the article was not, on a democratically elected government including it’s leader and south sudan leader salva kiir mayardit. His (kiir) mistake was of course firing riak machar. The president should have no power that allows him to fire top officials at his own will but should rather have gone through a judicial system and adequately check through investigations whether Riak Machar had actually done anything that warranted his dismissal, the president and his advisor(S) should have foreseen what have been a social uproar in a civilised country, in south sudan this resulted in tit for tat killings at a scale that neither nuer, dinkas and other tribes of course!will easily forget. It was not a coup and Kiir has not yet left the building folks, stay tune to the beautiful adventures of south sudan.