Juba, South Sudan
August 3, 2021 —- The coalition of opposition parties, the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), is demanding for Joseph Bakosoro to give up the ministerial portfolio that was given to him via SSOA ticket.
This comes after former leader of the South Sudan National Movement for Change (SSNMC), Joseph Bangasi Bakasoro, rejoined the SPLM once again last month under the chairmanship of President, Salva Kiir Mayardit.
Bakasoro serves as the national minister of public service in the revitalized government of national unity, a position that belongs to his former party, the SSNMC in the SSOA coalition.
In a statement seen by Nyamilepedia, the minister of Agriculture and head of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) coalition, Josephine Joseph Lago said the ministerial portfolio is allocated to SSOA according to the Revitalized Peace Agreement and as such Bakosoro should loss position by virtue of his rejoining decision to SPLM.
“Bakasoro has joined the SPLM party led by Salva Kiir, and we wish him the best, but he cannot go with the ministerial portfolio because according to the agreement, the position belongs to SSOA,” SSOA leader Josephine Joseph Lago quoted by Radio Tamazuj to have said.
She says it would tantamount to breach of the agreement for Bakosoro to maintain the portfolio since he abandoned SSOA which she said is not good.
Lago further reiterated that the position should return to members of South Sudan National Movement for Change (SSNMC).
” This would be a violation of the agreement, and we do not want that to happen. So we asked the competent authorities to withdraw the position from him, and the position will go to the members of the South Sudan National Movement for Change who are still members of the coalition.”, she added.
According to Lago, the SSOA group has nominated the coalition’s secretary-general Lt. Gen. Bapiny Monytuil for the position of deputy speaker in the Council of States.
Last month, Joseph Bakosoro dissolved his party and declared rejoining the ruling SPLM party after nearly 11 years; however, his party members argued that the party is still functional and active, describing Bakosoro’s declaration as personal decision which has nothing to do with whole party.
