S. Sudan presidency says OPP dispute resolved, Mayen to name parliamentary nominees

JUBA – South Sudan presidency on Thursday announced that internal dispute over positions within the Other Political Parties (OPP) has been resolved and that the group’s leader Peter Mayen Majongdit has been asked to submit the list of parliamentary nominees, selected based on agreed modalities, to the office of the president for appointment.

Mayen was last month dismissed by the People’s Liberal Party (PLP) as the chairman, effectively bringing to an end his leadership of the Umbrella group which is a member of the Other Political Parties. It remains unclear if he is still the chairman of that political coalition group after his dismissal from the PLP and the Umbrella group.

The OPP has been marred in internal power struggle with Mayen reportedly disrupting a meeting of the OPP with Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Special Envoy in South Sudan Ismail Wais for not being called into the meeting insisting that he still lead the opposition consortium.

OPP includes Umbrella of Political Parties, National Alliance Political Parties, United Sudan African Party, United Democratic Salvation Front Party, United Democratic Party, and African National Congress Party,

Mayen led a meeting of the OPP group with President Salva Kiir Mayardit and in a statement on Thursday evening following the meeting, the President said the disputes within the group has been resolved and that the group has been asked to present the list of its nominees to the president for appointment.

“His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit received and held a meeting with the members of other political parties to discuss and resolve outstanding issues within the party regarding the nomination of members to the transitional National Legislative assembly and council of States,” the statement said.

Information minister Michael Makuei Lueth said following the meeting that “all the internal disputes within the OPP have finally been resolved and the list of nominees for both the National and State parliament will be submitted for appointment.”

Mayen, for his part, said “the members OPP have agreed on modalities to present the lists of the members to the parliament as well as council of states.”