![South Sudan activist Edmund Yakani. [Photo courtesy]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Djfq2jGW0AAJpdg.png?resize=799%2C410&quality=80&ssl=1)
Kiir in a presidential decree readout on the state-own South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Wednesday reinstated Amer Ateny Alier, a member of the main armed opposition SPLM-IO who was removed by the president in January this year, as the speaker of Jonglei state parliament.
In a statement extended to Sudans Post this evening, Yakani welcomed the decision of the president to reinstate the opposition official and described the move by the president as a positive response to his previous call in which he urged Kiir to reinstate the official.
“CEPO welcomes the reinstatement of Jonglei State Legislative Assembly speaker after long suspension from duty via a presidential decree. CEPO congratulates the president for responding positively to our advocacy on reinstatement of Jonglei State legislative assembly speaker,” Yakani said in the statement.
The activist said that the removal of the Jonglei state parliamentary speaker – who is a female – would have been a blow to the 35 percent affirmative action given to women under the revitalized peace agreement and further called on the president to name a female foreign minister.
“The removal of the speaker of Jonglei state parliament would have been a grave mistake or violation of the affirmative action of 35% for women meaningful participation in the political transitional process in South Sudan,” Yakani said.
“This trend of removing women political leaders and replacing them with male political leaders is a direct attack on 35% for women. This is unaccepted act, and it should be stop immediately. We lost seat of Ministry of Foreign Affairs from Female to make minister and the same with the ministry of defense,” the activist added.
