SPLM-IO nominates ex-opposition governor of Imatong state as first deputy speaker of parliament

JUBA – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, on Saturday nominated former governor of the defunct Imatong state, Nathaniel Pierino, as the first deputy speaker of the Reconstituted Transitional National Assembly.

Puok Both Baluang, the acting press secretary in the officer of the First Vice President and SPLM-IO Director of Information and Public Relations said Nathaniel’s nomination was made during a meeting of the SPLM-IO parliamentary caucus along with that of Deng Deng Akoon who was also nominated as the speaker of the Council of States.

Nathaniel, 47, hails from Magwi County of Eastern Equatoria state. He holds Master of Arts in Political Science majoring in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Nkuruma University in Uganda.

He was a lecturer in the department of political science in the College of Economics and Social Studies at the University of Juba prior to the outbreak of the civil war in December 2013.

He served in various positions in the SPLM-IO including being the governor of the defunct Imatong state and is now representing the SPLM-IO in the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) provided for in the revitalized peace agreement.

He was at the epicenter of the peace negotiations in Addis Ababa and Khartoum which brought about the revitalized peace agreement which ended the bloody civil war in February last year.

He is currently the Chairperson of the SPLM-IO National Committee for Political Mobilization and Organization.