Kiir reconstitutes Unity state parliament, selects speaker, deputy

President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan recreated the state transitional legislative assembly for the oil-rich Unity state on Friday night, marking another step forward in the revived peace deal’s first phase.

The South Sudanese president nominated Laijiel Ngiel Bangot of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) as speaker, deputized by John Gatluak of the SPLM-IG, in a presidential order read on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC).

Having this, there are now nine states with a reconstituted transitional legislative assembly.

Western Equatoria, Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Lakes, Warrap, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Upper Nile, and Jonglei states have all had their legislative assemblies reformed by Kiir.

The last state is Western Bahr el Ghazal, where members of the governing Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), headed by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, have reportedly disagreed over the nomination process.

Kiir has yet to re-establish parliaments in the three administrative districts of Abyei, Ruweng, and Pibor.

According to the revitalized peace agreement, the SPLM will have a 55 percent responsibility sharing ratio at state and local government levels, while the SPLM/A-IO will have a 27 percent responsibility sharing ratio, the SSOA will have a 10% responsibility sharing ratio, and the OPP will have an 8 percent responsibility sharing ratio.

However, the Other Political Parties (OPP) has not been represented in the renewed peace deal, based on recent state legislative selections.