![Oyet Nathaniel, first deputy speaker of parliament and deputy chair of SPLM-IO speaks to journalists during a press conference held in Juba on Sunday, 23 July 2023 [Photo by Sudans Post]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C541&ssl=1)
The amendment bill, which gives the president the right to appoint 5 percent of members of parliament, was passed last week by the transitional parliament despite a boycott by lawmakers from the main armed opposition group.
Oyet said that the SPLM-IO opposes any appointment of supposedly elected officials by any person.
“We maintain our position. We object to any appointment of additional members of parliament by any person,” he told Sudans Post on Tuesday evening following the signing of the bill into law by President Salva Kiir.
When asked if the SPLM-IO will take part in the upcoming 2024 elections, Oyet said that his party will not participate unless certain conditions are met, including the conduct of a population census, the creation of a conducive political environment, and the adoption of a permanent constitution.
“We don’t believe in any elections without census, without political space, without a permanent constitution, without security arrangements, we would not believe in any elections in the Republic of South Sudan to be free, fair, credible, and also peaceful meeting the required benchmark,” he said.
“I don’t believe that the SPLM-IG can go for elections without meeting the benchmark because if the peace agreement would be abrogated by the SPLM-IG the critical pending task, we don’t see any prospect that South Sudan will be prepared and will be ready for elections,” he added.
“It is one thing to talk about elections, it is another thing to prepare a country for elections.”
The SPLM-IO’s objections to the electoral law amendment was seconded by several opposition groups including the National Democratic Party (NDM), the Revive South Sudan Party (RSSP), and the civil rights organizer People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA).
This large opposition to the bill sets a major setback for the peace and electoral process in South Sudan.
The SPLM-IO is one of the two main signatories to the peace agreement, and its participation in the political process is essential for the country’s stability and development.
I think the electoral law of 2012 will available on the ground for over 13 years from now since the foundation of South Sudan. Now, that one section is causing mayhem and chaotic mood within opposition parties, I don’t think whether the election set is going to be just, free and fair but it will ends up too violented in the history of South Sudan.
To examine what Makuei said that president has rights to be given a space of selecting any one he wants, because he is the sitting president when he is to win the general election of 2024, I think the president has a kind of picking any persons trusted by him from all ten states of South Sudan, but that one should not be dictated and written down in the electoral law, let it just remains oral because the president has already the party agenda to bring up whoever left out from any election, since he has trust on such persons.
To me, the move of election is accepted on my side, reason being the current parliament will not remains as the same, why? it is because new faces will come into parliament and at the same time this huge number of 550 members has to get reduced into 250 members from whole South Sudan states, and that scenario will automatically objects and minimize the corruption. So, you people in the parliament, the time of the nomination has come to an end, as we all knows that some of you came through nomination from their own respective parties and others were picked according to the same 2010 general election in Sudan whether in Southern Sudan by then or any other means that occured, the whole thing here is that, there was no free and fair election under the then dictatorial rule of president Bashiir. As I build up the point of Michael Makuei, I don’t want you Makuei to say that these parliamentarians were elected and others were nominated, just say all of them were appointed because there was no free and fair election as I stated it from the above, so it is time now to packed their own things and go home without complains.
I want to cocluded that the election sound very sweet at which I seconded it with inclusion of gun holders within South Sudan bushes.
Thanks.
the Party what so called SPLM-IG should withdrew their action on Electoral Bill, Let them work for the People of South Sudan because this Country is not for SPLM-IG but it is for South Sudanese People regardless on their differences in Parties. Let us build a prosperous South Sudan. these two Parties are all Liberators because the same army fought for South Sudan freedom so all of them should work for the interest of the people not for their interest to remain in Power.
I think the issue of 5 percent should not be a hold on by the SPLM-IO to avoid general elections coming 2024. Because 5 percent reserved in constitution is not dedicate or allocate to SPLM-IG only, it’s for any wining candidate and party includes SPLM-IO can enjoy that previllege if they WIN!
Permenant consititution is not also a reasonable matter to claim, why do SPLM-IO believed in transitional parliment and executive to develop a permenant constitution while not believing a legitimate parliment and executives that elcections going to bring in 2024 to develop permenant constitution?. the current govermment was from an interim-to-transtional now, not a legitimate goverment and R-ARCSS is not mandated by the people of South Sudan, so all the parties including SPLM-IO must give opportunity to South Sudanese to elect in manadaotry government.
Kindly accept the defeat because you were there during the process of pasting the bill. This is the only alternative for you to move forward. If you are telling us that the votes in the parliament was rigged. You might be right, otherwise it is sounds meaningless to for you to seek another extension. We are watching on you and the world is watching. No other extension please.
The five percent members to be appointed by the President are not the problem, the issue is who the will President appoint within the given percent. Out of 64 tribes in South Sudan, minorities are not represented and even if it comes to an election, minorities will suffer as democracy goes with the majority. This will give the President an equal appointment, especially for people from Minority for equal representation. we should not oppose every single aspect of the state for our own interest but consider our diversity. Many communities missed national representations including the state government levels. I suggest, that SPM-IO argue on general issues of national interest other than looking for small things to argue about.