Kiir asks SPLM-IO to nominate different person for Upper Nile state
General Johnson Olony who is nominated by the SPLM-IO for the governorship of Upper Nile state (Photo via Facebook)
JUBA – South Sudan president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, has asked the SPLM-IO to name a different person for governor of the country’s Upper Nile state, a senior opposition official told Sudans Post.
On Monday, Kiir – a party to the revitalized peace agreement – appointed eight state governors and decided to skip the appointment of Olony as governor of Upper Nile state which has been allocated to the main armed opposition.
He did not also appoint the governor for Jonglei state which has been allocated to the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) because of differences within the opposition consortium over who should be nominated.
A senior government official said on Monday evening that the SPLM-IO’s leadership had nominated Johnson Olony but was turned down by Kiir.
Speaking to Sudans Post on Monday, a senior opposition official who is also a minister in the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) revealed that Kiir has asked the group to nominate a different person for the gubernatorial position.
“President Salva Kiir Mayardit has turned down the nomination of the SPLM-IO because he doesn’t want the appointment of Johnson Olony,” the official said.
He has since asked the leadership [of the SPLM-IO] to name a different person for the governorship and that person will be appointed next week,” the official said.
The opposition who totally refused to be named said the “SPLM-IO position is very clear: no one can tell us who to nominate. That will be a dictation of what we, as a political organization can do.”