This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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Addressing the press conference after the consultative meeting Dr. Martin Elias Lomuro, Cabinet Affairs Minister, told the journalists at Freedom Hall that the consultation resolved that there should be President, Vice President, Prime Minister, three Deputies to the Prime Minister and The Council of Ministers (Ministers and Deputy Ministers).
“Our system is a presidential not parliamentary. These were the key issues we discussed,” he told reporters.
Dr. Lomoro said that the people also discussed about the powers of the president, whether the president should have the presidential powers or powers to be shared between the president and the prime minister.
“People also discussed about the position of the SPLA, whether the Army should be two armies during the Pre-Transitional Period,” he said.
“The discussants said that the President should be the executive president and the head of State of Government and Commander in Chief of the Army,” he said.
“They support the position of the vice president and non executive ceremonial position of prime minister to be deputies by three deputies. On the powers of the two positions of the president and the prime minister, the conference resolved that the powers of the president shall remain as defined in the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan and that the president, at his own discretion, should delegate any other functions on routine bases and as required to the prime minister”
“That the six powers already suggested in the power sharing arrangement between the president and the prime minister are enough and there should be no more,” said the Cabinet Affairs Minister.
“In fact there were other arguments which said that the prime minister does not deserve any powers. However, the president had already agreed to those six powers and the conference therefore conceded to the aspiration of the president,” he explain.
Dr. Lomoro said on the SPLA Status, the views were unanimous that there shall be no two armies. There shall only be one army and that the processes of integrationshall only affect those who defected from the SPLA and shall be reintegrated into the army with the same rank they had before they rebelled. “No individuals who joined the rebellion and was not in the SPLA shall be accepted to be integrated into the Army.
“The Unanimous decision of the conference is that we are one country, we have 64 communities or tribes; there is no way one community can demand to have 50 percent or 70 percent of the army,” said the Cabinet Minister.
Dr. Lomoro also said that “entertaining the idea of two armies is for more conflict within the Republic of South Sudan; and so that decision was very clear that we shall have only one army and there shall be no two armies in one country”.
“Finally on federalism; the conference presented logical views that Federalism wasindeed a call of the people of South Sudan before the country was united and after the country was united with the North in 1947 and that it should be explored to see whether it can deliver services better than the current decentralized system of governance,” he explained.
“It was then agreed that the proposal for federal system of government should be deferred to the constitutional Review Process, so that federalism itself is studied scientifically and appropriate type of federalism will then be presented to the people of South Sudan,” said the minister.
Referring to Federalism, Dr. Martine said, if necessary that should also be subjected to a referendum in order to make sure that everybody is comfortable with it and no citizen is deprived in expressing his views.
“These are the four key points that were discussed and they constitute the critical points, whether peace will be reached or not,” he concluded.
However, according to the Transitional Structure of the TGoNU by the SPLM/A in Opposition, seen by Gurtong, it contains only the two structures namely; President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers unlike the Government Structure.
The Consultative conference was a one-day event organized by the Ministry ofCabinet Affairs in consultation with the office of the vice president.
According to the Cabinet Affairs Minister, the Conference premised on inclusivity and provided leaders and representatives from Government Agencies, the legislature both the national and state levels, political parties, civil societies, private, sector, academia and other stake holders with a lead opportunity to contribute to and enrich the IGAD-led peace process.
Dr. Martin Elias Lomoru, Cabinet Affairs Minister and Master of the Ceremonies, said that the conference deliberated on the developments, prospects and challenges of the on-going peace talks between the Government and the SPLM-in-Opposition.
Speakers included Dr. Martin Elia sLomuro, Cabinet Affairs Minister and the Master of Ceremony, Hon. Nhial Deng Nhial, Chief Negotiator and the Peace Talks Team Representing on the key issues pertaining to the peace talks, Vice President James Wani Igga. There were comments on the resolutions and suggestions from participants and a final conclusion by President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
It is worth mentioning that the conference was attended by the Speakers and members of the South Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA), speaker and members of the Council of States, Governors and Speakers from the Ten States, Chief Administrator of Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), National Ministers, Chairpersons/representatives of National Commissions and independents institution.
It was also attended by the Representatives of; the SPLA and organized forces, Diplomatic and Foreign Mission, SPLM National Secretariat, other Political Parties, National Faith Based Groups, National and International Organizations (NGOs), Public and Private Universities, National Bodies of Private Sector, National Bodies of Youth and Students, Farmers and Pastoral Associations, Traditional Leaders.
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