Below is the full text of the speech of H.E First Vice-President and President of southern Sudan government, Salva Kiir Mayadrit at the opening of the second session of the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly, juba, 10th September 2007:
-Honorable Speaker, Mr. James Wani Igga
-Hon. Presidential Advisors and GOSS Ministers,
-Honorable Chairpersons of the Committees of the SSLA,
-Honorable Members of Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly,
-Distinguished Guests,
-Members of the Diplomatic Community,
-Ladies and Gentlemen
1. Opening Remarks:
I have the honor to greet and welcome you back to Juba. This is yet another privilege for me to open your second Parliamentary session for the year 2007.
May we stand to observe a minute of silence in memory of our late Leader Dr. John Garang de Mabior and our other fallen heroes and heroines! I would like this practice of observing one minute silence to remember our fallen heroes and heroines to be a tradition not only in SSLA but in all state legislative assemblies, as symbols of the aspirations of our people.
We have declared the 30th of July as a Martyrs Day to be celebrated throughout Southern Sudan. This is in honor and memory of Dr. John Garang de Mabior and all our fallen heroes and heroines, whose contributions both in terms of their personal role during our liberation struggle. We have also declared the 18th of August as Veterans Day in remembrance of Torit Upraising in 1955. Importantly, I have also declared the 16th May as SPLA Day during the 24th Anniversary of 16th May in Malakal. We are now in the process of drafting a bill that will regulate all our festivals and commemorations and I hope it will be presented to you soon.
Allow me also to greet our people wherever they may be, especially those who have just returned home from exile and I take this opportunity to welcome them back home and I wish them a smooth transition and adjustment to life at the motherland.
Mr. Speaker and Honorable Members,
I am confident that you have had a valuable time with your constituencies, though I believe your recess was too short for visiting most of your areas. Some of you especially those who came from the floods affected areas did find it not only difficult, but also impossible to visit their constituencies.
We in the Government of Southern Sudan are concerned with the plight of our people affected by the floods. I visited together with my Vice President, advisors and some ministers those affected areas in the Greater Upper Nile and we plan now to visit the other floods affected areas in the Greater Bahr el Ghazal region. The situation on the ground was horrific, and appalling.
We have set up a ministerial committee headed by the Vice President and a technical committee headed by the Chairperson of SSRRC to oversee, coordinate, mobilize resources and manage the effects of floods in Southern Sudan. The GoSS decided to avail $5 million USD to the floods affected areas and some donors, UN agencies and NGOs have generously contributed to the floods affected areas and we are so grateful to them.
Mr. Speaker, I would appreciate if honorable members who visited these affected areas to share their personal accounts from the ground with our committees so as to help them plan with an accurate information right from the site.
As we work for the temporary measures to stabilize and address the current floods situation, it becomes imperative that next year's (2008) budget should include contingency funds for such unforeseen events. We are now in the process of establishing emergency preparedness unit in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs that may evolve in the long run into a centre for emergency preparedness that will alert us and to proactively plan and respond to any calamity.
Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members,
Your government, despite the challenges it is facing, let me assure this honorable house that there is a considerable improvement in the lives of our people that we are seeing day after day. The Southern Sudan Centre for Census, Statistics and Evaluation is now collecting regular Consumer Price Index with preliminary results painting a hopeful picture about the status of inflation in Southern Sudan.
Despite this encouraging improvement in the daily lives of our people, we do face a huge budget deficit. This deficit came as a result of our ambitious and unrealistic projection of revenues and exacerbated by our inability to collect the non-oil revenue. In an effort to address this huge budget deficit, we were forced as Council of Ministers to pass for the first time a provisional order for personal income tax that will be presented to our August House soon.
Other challenges facing us include unsustainable level of public civil service in Southern Sudan. Our new Minister of Public Service, Labor and Human Resource Development is to redouble her efforts to resolve this issue in the shortest time possible and we are confident that she will make a difference and will be up to the challenge.
Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members,
The performance of our state governments is taking shape, but more effort is desired. Mr. Speaker, you may have witnessed or may have been made aware of the ongoing endless suggested reshuffles in the government of various states of Southern Sudan. You may agree with me Hon. Speaker that any erratic change is likely to cause chaos and instability. Some of you who visited your states could attest to this reality, though I know some of the members in this house are part of the ongoing power squabble in various states instead of being a part of solution.
The state governments need support from us all and we should be seen assisting them to develop a capacity for planning and provision of services to our people instead of wasting valuable time quarrelling over positions. We have a lot of challenges in front of us and we are left only with one dry season to deliver before the general elections and we should not allow ourselves to be bogged down with petty personal interests.
Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members,
VISIT TO NORWAY:
You may be aware of my visit to the kingdom of Norway in May this year. As you all know, the Norwegian People have always stood with us even during our worse days of our struggle. So the visit was on this background and to further develop these bilateral relations. While in Norway, I met the Prime Minister and most of his senior officials. It is important to inform this August House that Norway is one of the donor countries that have fully honored its pledges it made during the Oslo Conference (2005) for the construction of Southern Sudan. Norway still remains committed to continue its support to the Government of Southern Sudan; especially in the oil sector. I was also privileged to visit the Slottet Palace and met His Majesty, King Harald of Norway. His Majesty is also aware of the CPA and is keen in following its implementation process.
VISIT TO PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA:
As part of our continued efforts to mobilize international community to support the implementation of CPA as well as the necessary resources for the development of Southern Sudan, I visited China where we discussed issues of bilateral relations. I am delighted to inform that the Chinese authority accorded us special reception. I met President and Vice President of the People's Republic of China as well as the Secretary General of the Chinese Communist Party, various ministers and Chinese business community. We have managed to pass key messages to the Chinese leadership.
At least China is now aware that most of the oil produced in Sudan is from Southern Sudan and that people of Southern Sudan will exercise their right of self-determination in a referendum to be conducted by 2011. We have also shared with the Chinese authority the status of CPA implementation and presented to them about 12 projects to be financed either through grant-in-aid or through concessional or commercial Chinese loans. We have also urged the Chinese leadership to play a leading role in the implementation of the CPA and to help as well in finding a comprehensive peace in Darfur.
After my return from the People's Republic of China, their Ambassador in Sudan visited Juba as part of the preparations for the visit of the Chinese Technical Team that followed thereafter. This Technical Team has now completed its assessment which included a visit to Nimule and Yei. We are now anticipating China to undertake some of the major developmental projects in Southern Sudan.
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members,
Southern Sudan of the late is also blessed and has witnessed a visit of high level dignitaries to Juba. A week ago, the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Ban-Ki Moon visited Juba and spent a night in Juba. He was well briefed about the status of the CPA implementation and our efforts to address the conflicts in Darfur and Northern Uganda. Mr. Ban-Ki Moon was indeed moved and he even left with a nick-name "Mabiordit" given to him for a "white bull" that was given to him as a symbol of peace.
A day after the UN Secretary General left Juba, yet we had an important guest, Mr. Daniel Arop Moi, former President of the Republic of Kenya and Kenyan Special Envoy to Sudan on Peace. President Moi was also well briefed about the status of CPA implementation.
2. CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION:
(a) CPA Implementation
When we signed the CPA in 2005, our feeling was that Sudan had entered into a new dawn of peace and hope for our people. Today - and I do not want to mince my words - the feeling is not the same. I am alarmed, worried and deeply concerned about the status of CPA implementation.
Before narrating to you the challenges that are still facing us in the implementation of the CPA, I am worried Mr. Speaker that it is likely that Sudan will reverse again to war if we do not act now with our partner NCP.
On the top of these challenges are:
(a) The Abyei Protocol: Our partners in peace, the National Congress Party (NCP) have reneged on Abyei by refusing to implement the protocol and the Abyei Boundary Commission (ABC) Report. This is a clear violation of the CPA and a direct threat to peace. As we talk today, the people of Abyei have not yet benefited from peace dividends because of the failure to establish the Abyei Administration as provided for in the CPA. I am delighted to learn that the August House has invited the ABC experts for special hearing about their report and findings.
(b) North/South Border 1/1/56: Although we have agreed in the Presidency that this Committee should be supported in order to start and complete its work, there is a deliberate intention on the part of our partners not to move ahead on the border issue. The work of this committee is critical because it has profound impact on the resolution of problems, on the oil revenue allocations, redeployment of forces, population census, and demarcation of geographical consistencies, general elections and referendum in 2011. I am delighted that Dr. Douglas Johnson will be sharing with you a technical background paper that we have commissioned to define and demarcate the North-South Border and international boundaries of Southern Sudan.
Mr. Speaker, and the House, redeployment of forces was supposed to have been completed where all Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) present in Southern Sudan should have been redeployed north of the border of 1/1/56 by July 9th, 2007. This has not happened because our partners have decided not only to retain SAF but are even reinforcing their presence mainly in the oil fields. Again this is another clear violation of CPA.
(c) Darfur: We appreciate the role the UN and the international community has played in trying to address the plight of the people of Darfur and searching for a final peaceful settlement.
We in the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and GOSS have been consistently clear on our stand concerning resolutions 1706 and 1769 about the deployment of a hybrid force in Darfur. For us, this is the only way to protect civilians and provide room for political settlement of the conflict.
We equally support the AU/UN initiative of bringing the Parties to the conflict in Darfur to a negotiating table. As you may be aware, we as SPLM have taken the initiative of trying to bring all none signatories to the DPA together to have a common position to negotiate a final political settlement. Using our experience, we believe this will assist the Darfurians in preparation for the actual Peace Talks. We have now agreed with UN and AU to work together in taking this process to a comprehensive peace agreement in Darfur. Dr. Riek Machar and other members of the SPLM Taskforce are now in Paris in an attempt to convince Abdel Wahid to join this process.
(d) The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA):
Hon. Speaker and Members of the Assembly, our initiative to mediate peace in Northern Uganda is born out of our conviction for regional stability and the spirit of good neighbourliness. This is the spirit of our new foreign policy as provided for in the CPA. That is why the SPLM took it upon itself to normalize relations with all Sudan's neighbours. I personally shuttled to Asmara, Kampala, Cairo, and N'djamena in an effort to reconcile and improve relations between Khartoum and those capitals.
Therefore, due to our efforts in facilitating the Juba Talks, there is now tranquillity prevailing in Northern Uganda and the affected areas of Southern Sudan. We particularly appreciate and thank the UN system for the appointment of President Joaquim Chissano as UN Secretary General Special Envoy for LRA affected areas. President Chissano has now pushed the process to a final stage. If it bears fruits, this will be one unique lesson for Africa's ability to provide solutions to her own problems.
Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members,
(e) Population Census:
We are all aware of the upcoming Population Census scheduled for the early 2008. This national exercise remains a huge challenge for the Government of Southern Sudan and its institutions. The funding of this undertaking is a sole responsibility of the Government of National Unity. It is regrettable that up to the time we speak, the GONU has not fully availed the necessary funds for the conduct the Population Census.
The Government of Southern Sudan is determined to ensure the success of the upcoming Population Census. We have from our meager resources, approved $3.9 Million dollars to Southern Sudan Centre for Census, Statistic and Evaluation to finalize the census preparatory activities such as mapping, advocacy and publicity campaign in Southern Sudan. We will continue to urge the GONU to fulfill its national obligation in funding this National Population Census. Mr. Speaker besides lack of resources to the population census, we have also differed with our partner on whether to include questions on ethnicity and religion in the census questionnaires.
The National Population Census is very important for the people of Southern Sudan, and I have repeatedly said this, and will continue to emphasize on this importance until we achieve the desired results.
(f) General Elections 2009:
Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members,
This is yet another milestone in democratic transformation in Sudan. The Successful Population Census in Southern Sudan would be an indicator for the success of the other two major national events, namely the general elections and referendum on the right of self-determination to the people of Southern Sudan. Mr. Speaker, we are concerned that there are some forces in the Sudan who are trying their best to derail the democratic process and conduct of the general elections as agreed upon in the CPA.
(g) Referendum: The CPA has given the people of Southern Sudan the right to have a say for the first time about their own destiny in the country through a referendum to be conducted in 2011. It is regrettable that there are some voices in the Sudan who are agitating and would like to temper with this constitutional right. To our people, this exercise is a matter of life and destiny! We urge this August House to be vigilant in safeguarding this fundamental right of our people.
3. Current Session of SSLA:
Mr. Speaker, I am aware that you will have enormous work before you as we are now in the process of presenting our 2008 budget. Despite the pressing demands for your time, I would request the August House with your permission Mr. Speaker to focus and expedite the passing the current bills that are now before you as well the bills that will be presented to you soon. Mr. Speaker and as you are aware we urgently need legislations that would guide our institutions, commissions, judiciary, revenue collection, civil service, local government and to fill as well the huge legal vacuum and uncertainty of laws.
I would also urge to critically and carefully analyze and review the provisions of the bills before you so as to reflect our vision and strategic direction for our people.
Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me remind ourselves once again about the war on corruption in our government institutions. The Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly and all the state Assemblies are the oversight institutions, and are hereby called upon to play this leading role in protecting the public funds and all government properties from being looted by some government officials and their agents. I would like to reiterate our commitment to "zero tolerance on corruption" and I would urge again our Assembly stand together in this noble fight against corruption.
4. Concluding Remarks
You might have received the rumours of the plane crashed that alleged to claim my lives. Although this is rumour as I am now physically before you, it is important for us to be aware that there are people who are working very hard to undermine peace in the Sudan and ignite tensions among our communities. I appeal again in this Assembly to all Sudanese people to remain clam and the incident of 2005 should not be allowed to repeat itself. We are peace loving people and we should allow ourselves to be dragged into conflict by handful of people who are only interested in chaos and instability that we utterly denounced in CPA.
Good Luck and God Bless You.
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