SPLM-IO lawmakers in Jonglei boycott parliament over removal of speaker

JUBA, FEBRUARY 15^th 2023 (SUDANS POST) – Members of Jonglei State parliament from the main armed opposition SPLM-IO led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny have announced their boycott of parliamentary sittings until when their demands – including the return of the speaker – are addressed.

The opposition parliamentary boycott, the first in Jonglei State, comes less than two months after President Salva Kiir revoked, in a presidential decree on January 4, 2023, the appointment of Amer Ateny Alier, the speaker of Jonglei State parliament.

She had chaired a parliamentary session in which furious lawmakers impeached the Jonglei State minister of finance after several allegations were raised by the public implicating the minister in corruption practices.

But in a statement, the SPLM-IO Jonglei parliamentary chief whip Abel Nyuot Lok said they have decided to withdraw from parliament until when the leadership of the country in Juba reinstate the speaker of the state parliament who is a senior member of the SPLM-IO.

“On behalf of members of Parliament and the general public, We the SPLM-IO Caucus in the Jonglei State Legislative Assembly do hereby declare our position to boycott the reopening of the Jonglei State Legislative Assembly which is on the process to be reopened,” the statement signed by Nyuot reads in part.

The statement condemned the revocation of the appointment of Amer as member of parliament saying it violates the revitalized peace agreement signed in September 2018 and added that it is illegal for the deputy speaker to preside over the parliamentary sittings.

“The unilateral revocation of Rt. Hon. Amer Ateny, the speaker of the Jonglei State Legislative Assembly is a violation of article 1.13.1 of R-ARCSS which dictate the removal and replacement procedures, and 1.9.6 which called for a spirit of collegial collaborations among the parties to the peace agreement,” he said.

“It is unconstitutional for the deputy speaker to preside over the reopening of the Jonglei State Legislative Assembly. According to article 7.3 of chapter one of the assembly Conduct of Business dictates that no parliament business shall be transacted besides the appointment of the speaker when the office of the speaker is vacant.

“Therefore, the deputy speaker has no constitutional rights to reopen the Jonglei State Legislative Assembly since there is no active speaker that has or delegates powers to the deputy speaker,” the statement further added.