Press Statement by the Leader of Minority in Upper Nile State Legislative Assembly on;
The Farcical statement made by Upper Nile Governor in Juba.
August 22, 2012 (SSNA) — Governor of Upper Nile State Simon Kun Puoch Mar beamed on SSTV on Saturday August 18th 2012 on his arrival at Juba airport from Malakal, same shams published in the citizen news paper the following morning on first page that; quote “SPLA Captures SPLM-DC Militiamen in Upper Nile”.
The crux of the matter is retaliation against the SPLM-DC party members’ walk out from the Legislative Assembly of Upper Nile State for refusing to accord audience to illegally appointed constitutional-snare Mayor for Malakal town council by the governor.
The Governor had been hoarding copies of the state’s constitution hidden in his custody since it has been reviewed and passed by national ministry of legal affairs and constitutional development in Juba several months ago.
The constitution was only made available to the parliament only 48 hours before the summon of the Mayor to the parliament. When it became crystal clear that the Mayor had no constitutional being, to appear before and address the parliament, the leader of minority in Upper Nile State Legislative Assembly, protested as a matter of procedure. However, the deputy speaker overruled and offered the opposition either of two choices i.e. either he must sit down and precede with the appearance of the Mayor or to leave the room. The leader of the opposition opted for choice of the constitutional provisions and walked out. He was immediately joined by SPLM-DC members in the walk-out.
Simon Kun Puoch Mar is above the constitution in Upper Nile State, and can not entertain any opposition from whoever. Least of all the SPLM-DC party. The delayed distribution of the constitution copies to the MPs was a tactic to keep them in the dark in the hope of illegal confirmation of the city Mayor position which is not in the constitution, along with others as the ministry of legal affairs and the ministry of trade and investment. The opposition in the parliament is the vanguard against any unconstitutional practices fostered by the governor in the state.
The SPLM-DC has nothing to do with what happened in Renk county carried out by known commanders of insurgency in the area under the command of Maj. General Mohamed Chol El Haamer, Maj. General James Gai Yoach, Maj. General James Thiel. The accusation by Simon Kun Puoch Mar, comes as no surprise to many people of Upper Nile State, because when he is in difficulties in the state, he rationalizes by smearing the name of SPLM-DC as the escape goat, to appease his superiors as to avert the attention of the public from real issues like the bad health and education where there are no drugs and overcrowded classes of two hundred pupils who never attend classes on rainy days and poorly paid teachers .
Prevention of the commissioner of Makal county to celebrate the nations’ independence in Malakal town, ordering him to celebrate across the river at Lelo Payam, is one part of this plot to hand over the county to an illegally appointed Mayor. The refusal of Makal county commissioner to give-up the town of Malakal and opposition walk-out of the parliament had triggered anger in the governor who feels better when regarded being above the law. Where are 15 captured militia men affiliated to the SPLM-DC. But they could pay any persons to impersonate the alleged militiamen, if the investigation is not carried out by an independent court of competence.