By Philip Buda Ladu
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party has elected and entrusted five members of parliament under its docket as nominees to be elected to represent South Sudan at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
The five SPLM MPs comprising of three women and two men were elected yesterday awaiting endorsement by the transitional national legislative assembly along four other candidates including two on SPLM-IO ticket and two from other interest groups summing up to 9 members that are going to represent South Sudan at the regional EAC bloc assembly in Arusa, Tanzania.
Last week, the SPLM party announced the nomination procedures for the election of its five members to be part of the nine members of parliament South Sudan is to send to the EALA assembly in Arusa. This came after the transitional national assembly also advertised the reelection of the 9 MPs to represent the Country at the EAC regional assembly or EALA.
South Sudan transitional national assembly in 2017 elected and endorsed 9 legislators that represented the country at EALA in Arusa Tanzania and their five years tenure came to an end which prompted the reelection of new members to the regional assembly.
It is on that background that the office of the SPLM deputy chairman and vice president for Economic Cluster, Dr. James Wani Igga disclosed yesterday that three powerful women were re-elected as MPs along with two more men to represent South Sudan in the East African Legislative Assembly.
“Members from the two august houses, SPLM caucus have elected their members to represent South Sudan in the East African Legislative Assembly. Free and fair election for SPLM candidates to EALA was done yesterday in Juba,” Vice President Dr. Igga’s office reported on his officials Facebook page.
“SPLM National Secretariat brought together all parliamentarians from SPLM caucus to prepare ahead of the final election in the national parliament. Women’s has dominated three positions out of the five after members of the caucus were satisfied with their worked for the last five years,” it added.
Dr. Ann Ito re-elected and was the winner from greater Equatoria region with 110 votes; Dr. Woda Jeremiah Odok re-elected and declared, as the winner from greater Upper Nile region with 78 votes and Gai Deng Nhial was the winner from greater Bahr el Ghazal region with 103 votes.
The ruling SPLM party stated that after serous calculation the remaining two positions out of the five were given to men to compute on it. And thereafter SPLM parliamentary caucus re-elected Dr. Garang Ahar and Kim Gai to EALA.
With these party elections, it means the SPLM has retained its previous members endorsed and elected to represent the Country at the regional bloc assembly in Arusa once the parliament see them through.
The SPLM interim Secretary General, Peter Lam Both said after the elections that the SPLM national secretariat will submit those five elected names to the national parliament for final election together with members from different political parties.
Vice President Dr. James Wani Igga who also doubles as deputy Chairman of SPLM in his remarks encouraged elected members to EALA to fully represent the nation effectively for the benefit of the people of South Sudan.
He said South Sudan is facing a lot of challenges as well as floods, Inter-communal conflict and economic situation and that require much effort from members to lobby for support in the field of health, education and infrastructure.
The Speaker of the national parliament Jemma Nunu Kumbo, a senior member of the party assured that SPLM caucus at the national parliament will vote for the five members elected by the party not independence candidates.
Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, another senior member of the SPLM party applauded the party leadership for endorsing the five SPLM candidates to be elected to the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA).
“I would like to congratulate Cde. Peter Lam Both, the SPLM Interim Secretary General and the SPLM Secretariat for an excellent process in conducting democratic, free and fair election of SPLM candidates,” he said.
He also comforted and thanked the former EALA 4 MPs who did not make it back to EALA.
The SPLM nominated candidates included;
1. Hon. Gai Deng Nhial won the seat of Bar El Ghazal region for EALA MP, female.
2. Hon. Dr. Anne Itto won the seat of Equatoria region for EALA MP, female.
3. Hon. Dr. Woda Jeremiah Odok, won the seat of Upper Nile Region for EALA MP, female.
4. Hon. Dr. Garang Aher Arol won the seat for Bar El Ghazal Region for EALA MP, male.
5. Hon. Kim Gai Ruot won the seat for Upper Nile Region for EALA MP, male.
The other MPs who represented South Sudan at EALA for the last five years and are unlikely to make it back to Arusa included; Gideon Gatpan Thoar, Thomas Dut Gatkek, Mukulia Kennedy and Gabriel Alak Garang,