After two week since the swearing in of the First Vice President Dr Riek Machar and other four Vice Presidents, South Sudan parties to Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) have reached an agreement over allocation of ministerial portfolios allocation which will lead to formation of cabinet.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, deputy spokesman of the opposition SPLM-IO, said that they had resolved the dispute over cabinet posts.
Under the 2018 peace accord, the RTGoNU will have 35 ministries split up among the group of Salva Kiir, the SPLM-IO of Riek Machar, the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), the SPLM-FDs, and other political parties.
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SPLM-IO under Dr Riek Machar will have nine ministries, while SSOA group will have three ministries. The SPLM-FDs will take two ministries, other political parties will get one ministry and the remaining ministries will be retained by SPLM-IG under Salva Kiir Mayardit.
The SPLM-IO will take Ministry of Defense, petroleum, mining, water and irrigation, energy and dams, gender, federal affairs, peace building, and health.
SPLM-IO will also nominate deputy ministers for the ministries of finance, presidential affairs and interior.
Manawa disclosed that the parties had reached a compromise over who should run the states in the coalition government. He said the SPLM-IO will nominate governors of Eastern Equatoria, Lakes and Upper Nile states.
“The cabinet is expected to be announced soon. We can say that we are now ready for the formation of the cabinet,” he said.
