Power Sharing will Cause Disunity in Jonglei State
By Noble Leek Goi, Bor, South Sudan
March 6, 2016 (SSB) —- The new Jonglei state comprise of three counties of sub-Dinka tribe; Duk, Twic East and Bor counties. In previous Jonglei government, Duk County had 2 members of parliament, Twic East County had 4 members of parliament and Bor County had 8 members of parliament, making total of 14 members of parliament for the three counties with Bor County having the lion’s share. All those members of parliament were elected.
Duk county had only 2 members of parliament because of their loyalty to the government of South Sudan and their mother party SPLM/A.
During the time of election, Duk county top politicians sensitized the community of Duk not to vote any candidate from other parties except SPLM. Therefore, all other candidates who were contesting from other parties lost their seats except one from SPLM party Hon. Abiel and another one from SPLM women list Hon. Athiak, those are the two members of parliament.
However, it was not the case with Twic East and Bor counties. They voted for the candidates who were from other parties including those who were independent. That is why they were having more members of parliament then Duk County in previous Jonglei state.
With the increment of states to 28, Duk, Twic East and Bor counties were given their own state and the name Jonglei remained with them. Each of 28 states was given 21 members of parliament. Therefore, Jonglei state already had 14 members of parliament, in order to make 21, it was added 7 more members of parliament.
The Origin of Jonglei problem
The problem arises in the division of 7 members of parliament who were added to Jonglei state. It became hard on what mathematical method to use in the division of 7 members of parliament to 3 counties.
Bor County quickly came up with their method which gives them 4, Twic East with 2 and Duk County with 1. When you get the summation of all the members of parliament per each county according to Bor county method, you will come up with the following digits.
Bor County 8+4 = 12
Twic East county 4+2 = 6
Duk county 2+1 = 3
Making total of 21 members of parliament.
Twic East county + Duk county = 6+3 = 9, which is still less than that of Bor county.
The question which might be asked by a wise person is that, why Bor County has more members of parliament then Twic East and Duk counties?
Is it true that when you combine the population of Twic East and Duk, is it less than that of Bor County in actual sense?
That division is the origin of the problem and it will be the cause of the problem if not address very fast and in a fair manner.
Why Bor County has more members of parliament
Bor County members of parliament claimed to have got the formula from 2008 census which ranked them number one in population. Therefore, they have more members of parliament because they have biggest population according to their 2008 census. That is what they claimed.
Critics of the population/census of 2008
First of all, His Excellence president of the republic of South Sudan Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit never used any population consideration in the division of states and distribution of members of parliament. How did they (Bor County) come up with their population method?
If president was awarding states and members of parliament according to population, some counties which are now states would have not been states. And such states they do have 21 members of parliament like those big states. This means there was no issue of population considered at all.
According to 2008 census, Jonglei state had 11 counties and those counties their citizens were counted in the headquater Bor-town and this had increased the population of Bor County.
There was division 8 in Pan Pandiar which is a national army and it was also counted in Bor county population. There was also Wounded/Mahokin in Pariak and they were counted as citizens of Bor County.
Leaves alone the business people/foreigners who were in Bor-town by the time of census.
During the time of census, some areas in Duk County were not reached by the census team because of the lack of road network and political instability, even president Salva Kiir knows very well that there is no road network. So the population of Duk according to 2008 census is inaccurate. The same to Twic East County.
Above all, the population of Bor County is the one of old Jonglei state, which means it should not be considered in this new Jonglei state, because we are no longer 11 counties unlike before.
It is even condemned in the bible that, you cannot use the piece of an old cloth to mend the hole of a new one. I wonder why they are trying to mix the old population which consisted of Nueer, Anyuak, Shilluk, Ngok and Murle with the population which consist of Nyarweng, Hol, Bor and Twic!!
The Complaints
Since President Salva Kiir never considered the population factor in his distribution of states and members of parliament per state, therefore, we shall not accept any use of population which is not nationally recognized.
According to simple mathematical methods, 21 divided by 3 is simply 7. Therefore, each county should have 7 members of parliament, there is no county which is better than other county as long it is a county.
If there is any county that complaints because of being majority, they should write to the president for a state otherwise we are all equal.
Claiming for a bigger share within a state is illegal because, the states were not created depending on population, otherwise Twic, Terkeke and Ghok would have not been states.
“This is the beginning of the end but, it is not the end of the beginning.” Winston Churchill. Therefore, whatever is given to a state by the central government, must be distributed equally.
If the central government decided to increase the number of counties per state, we must also divide them equally, no county should be divided many times then the other. For example, if Jonglei is given more extra 3 counties, then it should be one on one.
Conclusion
If Duk County gave up over this issue, they should know that, until Jesus comes back they will be getting less share in Jonglei. They should not give a chance to let this enter into the system. “yuom ci jongdit gok ace akut ye leu.” The coming generation of Duk will suffer if this is not address well.
As a matter of fact, all the members of Duk County should speak one voice over this issue. We should not be marginalized by our fellow brothers and sisters, when we had contributed much in the liberation of this country, without turning against SPLM/A since 1983 up to date.
Duk had been too loyal to the government for a quite long time but no reward. Those who benefit from the government currently are against us.
“When you are in the light, everything follow you, but when you enter the darkness, even your own shadow doesn’t follow you.” Adolf Hitler.
Eng. Noble Leek Goi, Community activist, Nobleleek@gmail.com
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