SPLM-DC Position on the National Constitutional Review Commission

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement Democratic Change

Juba, January 20, 2013 (SSNA) — The mass media announced this evening the text of a Republican Decree appointing Mr Sisto Olur Erista, the Secretary General of SPLM-DC, to the membership of the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) representing the Party.

It is to be noted that SPLM-DC had nominated in January last year a representative to the NCRC on the understanding that he was to be one of the nine (9) permanent members of the Commission. However, when the names of the members of the Commission were announced, our nominee was not appointed to the permanent membership.  We wrote to the President of the Republic to correct this anomaly but nothing happened. Therefore, SPLM-DC decided to withdraw its nominee and has never nominated a replacement. All this time the NCRC has been operating without SPLM-DC being represented therein.

It is worth mentioning that six (6) seats of the permanent membership have been taken over by the SPLM. There is no reason why the SPLM-DC, which enjoys the second largest number of elected members in the National Legislative Assembly, should not get at least one seat among the three (3) remaining permanent seats.

We would like to inform the public that the Republican Decree came as a surprise to us. SPLM-DC is still waiting for the President of the Republic to inform the Party that its just demand above will be met. Then and only then would the Party be in a position to nominate representatives to the National Constitutional Review Commission.