VP Taban reportedly urged Kiir to fire him following spat on parliament reconstitution

JUBA – South Sudan Vice-President Taban Deng Gai in March reportedly requested President Salva Kiir Mayardit to remove him over disagreement between the two on decision by President Kiir to smash aside almost all of Taban’s lawmakers in the parliament, according to a fromer lawmaker close to the vice-president.

Following the reconstitution of parliament by Kiir in May, only between three and four lawmakers from Taban’s defunct SPLM-IO faction were reappointed to parliament. There were reports of disagreement at the time between Taban and Kiir ahead of the reconstitution of parliament.

At the time, Kiir reportedly refused to attend a meeting set with Mr. Taban.

Speaking to Sudans Post exclusively from the capital Juba this morning, the official who requested not to be named said vice-president Taban was not happy over planned replacement of lawmakers allied to Taban in parliament and told President Salva Kiir to remove him instead.

“Vice-president Taban Deng Gai has told him to remove him as vice president following the disagreement. It (the disagreement) started at a meeting of the SPLM political bureau in Juba and it was clear from the Secretary-General Nunu Kumba that most, if not many of us, are to be removed,” the official said.

“So, VP Taban requested to see President Salva Kiir Mayardit in March, but that meeting was not approved until the beginning of May ahead of the formation of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly and it was let. So when the vice-president met the president, he told him that it was let to make adjustments and Taban told President Kiir that it was better to remove him than to leave all those who supported him during the war from parliamentary positions,” the official.

In a decree issued via the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasted Corporation (SSBC) Kiir dissolved the parliament in May and two days later formed the legislative assembly. Only a few members of Taban’s SPLM-IO faction were reappointed into the parliament.

However, those reappointed were no longer allied to Taban because they were mainly nominated by governors of SPLM including arch rivals of vice-president Taban Deng such as Governor of Unity state Nguen Manytuil.