South Sudan president, Salva Kiir has
unexpectedly reversed an earlier order and
appointed five female ministers and
an equal numbers of deputies in his newly-formed government.
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| South Sudan president Salva Kiir |
Kiir, in an executive order issued
Sunday, also split ministries previously combined with each other, into
separate ones, nearly two weeks after he dissolved government.
The ministerial changes and subsequent
appointments, officials say, was in response complaints raised by women groups,
who claimed they were under represented and blamed government for failure to
fulfill 25% affirmative action.
The new cabinet, the state-radio
reported, will consist of 33 members, including the president, his deputy and
minister for the presidency, whose positions are still vacant.
Abuk Ayite, a legislator in the
national assembly, commended the president for adhering to the 25% affirmative
action allocated to women in the country.
“We are happy and thank the president
for responding to our pleas favourably. This was a wise decision and we knew he
was going to do so. He is a caring leader and which is why we the women have
been supporting him all along,” said Ayite.
“We continue to support him,” she
stressed.
Thomas Wani, who chairs the
parliamentary group for members from the south-ruling party (SPLM) said the
appointment of new more women in the cabinet was the result of the meeting they
had with the president on Saturday.
“The house welcomed this development.
It is the result of the meeting we had with the president on Saturday. It shows
the president keeps his words. He told asked he has heard our reservations and
the recommendations we made and that he was going to act on them, which what he
has now done. We congratulate him and the women," Wani told reporters in
the capital, Juba on Monday.
This is how wise leaders like our
president address issues of concern, he added.
Meanwhile, several changes also
emerged in the new order, some contrary to the one issued on Wednesday last
week.
The president, for instance, reversed
the appointment of Simon Mijok Mijak as new minister of transport, roads and
bridges, and made him a deputy in the same ministry. He instead moved Kuong
Danhier Gatluak, previously for labour, public service and human resource
development to the transport ministry.
Also affected was the new minister for
youth, culture and sports, Ngor Kolong Ngor, who becomes the new minister of
labour, public service and human resource development.
Another new appointee, Nadia Arop
Dudi, previously named deputy minister for agriculture and forestry, was
elevated to the youth, culture and sports ministry, to be deputised by
Josephine Napwon Cosmos.
STRUCTURAL CHANGES
The ministry of information and
broadcasting, which was previously combined with that of telecommunications and
postal service, remained on its own with Michael Makueu Lueth as its minister,
to be deputised by Rachek Nyadak Paul.
Rebecca Joshua Okwaci, who had earlier
been appointed deputy information minister, now becomes the new minister for
telecommunications and postal services.
The ministry of environment, initially
combined with that of petroleum and mining, now stand as an independent entity,
headed by Abdallah Deng Nhial, who was last week appointed as minister for
electricity, dams and irrigation. Nhial will be assisted by Matin Tako.
Jemma Nunu Kumba, the powerful lady
from Western Equatoria is now the new minister for electricity and dams, having
been moved from lands, housing and physical planning. Thus, Catherine Juan
Bennia takes over the lands ministry, with Deng Arop Kuol as deputy minister.
An 11-member technical committee was
on Monday formed by the country’s national assembly to vet the new appointees.
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