Opposition Affirms Withdrawal From Constitutional Committee The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change-SPLM-DC has said that all the opposition parties that withdrew from the Constitutional Review Committee will not return.12 March 2011 Hon. Andrew Okony Ayom the Opposition Chief Whip of the SSLA [©Gurtong]By Waakhe Simon Wudu JUBA, 11th March 2011 [Gurtong] - The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change-SPLM-DC has said that all the opposition parties that withdrew from the Constitutional Review Committee will not return.
Speaking to Gurtong yesterday, Hon. Andrew Okony Ayom the Opposition Chief Whip of the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly-SSLA said that the nine parties will not return to the Committee. Early this week, nine South Sudanese opposition political parties involved in the amendment of the Southern Sudan Interim 2005 Constitution left the Constitutional Review Committee due to what they termed as “violation of procedures”. SPLM-DC, the leading opposition party in South Sudan said they will not return to the negotiation table unless SPLM respects their views. The parties have accused the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-SPLM on so many issues they feel are necessary for the transitional constitution. Concerns raised by Opposition Parties; SPLM has dominated the representation in the committee by 41 members to 11 opposition members only. SPLM has violated procedures agreed upon in a communiqué signed by all South Sudan opposition parties last year in Juba. And that, the ruling party has prepared a ready text of the constitution, which the opposition say is impossible for the committee to deliberate on without consensus upon which SPLM was adamant to accept. Okony said that the opposition wants 18 months or two years as transitional period for the transitional government and not the proposed 5 years. He added that the opposition shall continue making sure that SPLM adhere to democratic principles in South Sudan. Early this week, John Luk Jok the Constitutional Review Committee Chairperson from SPLM told the media that, the opposition withdrawal would not affect the committee progress. However, Okony responded that, “if they continue, the situation will be worse.” He said that absence of the opposition in the committee will limit chances of amending a representative constitution. Posted in: Home -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
