South Sudan should have a prime minister after independence - SPLM-DC

February 20, 2011 (JUBA) - The Sudan People Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC) said Saturday that South Sudan, when it becomes independent in July, should have a prime minister as well as a president.

Sudan's South is currently writing a constitution ahead of its secession from the North after the South vote to separate in a referendum in January. The referendum was agreed as part of a 2005 peace agreement, which brought former rebel movement the SPLM into power in the South.

In 2009 the SPLM-DC split from the SPLM to contest last year's elections. The SPLM overwhelmingly won the vote, described by observers as being flawed in some areas. In particular the SPLM-DC complained of intimidation, arrests and other malpractices.

The SPLM-DC chairperson in Central Equatoria state, Peter Yeka, told Sudan Tribune that he hoped the new country of South Sudan would be a democratic country that will be represented by all the political parties in the region not just the dominant SPLM.

"South Sudan should have [a] president and prime minister so that all the political parties in the African newest region will have chance to power sharing rather than having president and the vice all from the same party", Yeka said.

Under the current South Sudan government both the president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, and his deputy, Riek Machar, are both from the SPLM. Kiir will relinquish his position of first vice president of the republic of Sudan in July when the South goes its own way.

Kiir has promised to hold fresh elections soon after the South secedes.

The Central Equatoria SPLM-DC chairperson said: "The leaders that will be elected democratically should likewise serve a maximum of five years in the offices that will adopt the world standard, but not permanent in the office."

Speaking at the party's office in Juba - the capital of the South - said Yeka, said that, the technical committees that were formed to review the constitution of the newest state should be transparent. He also said that the new constitution should enforce term limits at all levels of the new South Sudan government.

Yeka said that laws that will come out of the review ensure freedom of expression for all political parties and citizens.

He added that, the new constitution should separate South Sudan's army from its political and administrative institutions. Since the 2005 peace deal, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), which fought Khartoum governments for over two decades, has been the regions official army. The SPLM is the political wing of the SPLA, and many of the South's politicians are former or current members of the army and security services.

The SPLM-DC member said that the SPLA does not belong to SPLM but should be for the region, to protect South Sudan from both internal and external threats.

"The vision and mission of SPLM-DC Secretariat is well spelt, they are to transform the country in to a modern state, the party also respects the right of the citizens without any tribalism or nepotism", Yeka stressed.

Yeka said that the SPLM-DC had actively participated in the registration and education of citizens for plebiscite at from the grass roots upwards.

"The DC will make sure that, they are in full gear, (cooperation) with all the political parties in the region so that, southern Sudan will be a unique country will be love and admire by the world as they have recognized the referendum results" he said.

He also recognized the benefits of the South-South dialogue that brought all the political parties in under one umbrella in October, he says that resolution and promises tabled will only succeed when all the parties in the region joins hands to achieve common goal for the development of the country.

The SPLM-DC is working tireless to make sure services is delivered to the citizens without any discrimination because he says, South Sudan belongs to all the tribes in the south but not only for one tribe, Yeti said.

(ST)