In Jonglei state, all counties are equal but some are more equal than others (Part 3)
Making sense of Duk Community in Diaspora’s Position Paper on the Distribution of Power in Jonglei State
By Kon Joseph Leek, Juba, South Sudan
March 14, 2016 (SSB) — As I had mentioned in part one of this article that I would talk of the so-called population of Bor county, I have come to learn that a lot have already been said in the position paper of Duk community in diasporas’ position paper – and so, I am only commentating in brief what is in that document, their position paper has stipulated fully all that I could have talked about.
Below is a finding got from South Sudan Statistical yearbook 2011, that defines 5th Sudan census of 2008
In regard to population, which is a claim of the Bor County’s MPs that they have two hundred and twenty one (22100) thousands, which enabled them to obtain the 8 seats in the former Jonglei state, does not hold any truth in the new Jonglei state. Why? Because
- Nuer, Anyuak, Murle, Kachipo, Jie and Padang, who were counted in Bor town, are no longer residents of new Jonglei state. They moved to their new states of Boma, Eastern Bieh, Western Bieh, and Eastern Nile respectively;
- The war-disabled veterans in Pariak are not in Jonglei state payroll, but under the national commission of War Disables and orphans. So, they should not be represented in the Jonglei state’s assembly.
- Division 8, which is stationed in Panpandiar, is not in Jonglei state payroll either, but Bilpam’s payroll, and they should also be excluded from Bor County’s Population; and
- The residents of Twic East and Duk Counties, who were counted in Bor town during the 2008 census, were intentionally added to the Bor County’s population; thus, they should not base their claim on that as well.
According to Bor county MPs’ proposal for the upcoming Jonglei State Assembly, Bor County will receive 12 MPs, Twic East County will receive 6 MPs, and Duk County will take 3 MPs. They (Bor County’s MPs) also demand four counties out of the seven counties that being proposed for the new Jonglei State. Twic East County will receive 2 counties, and Duk County will remain as one county. This is ridiculous and unthinkable distributions.
Duk County members, both at home and in the Diaspora, are strongly rejecting the Bor County MPs’ Proposal based on the following evident:
The Establishment Order No. 36/2015 AD for the creation of the new South Sudan’s 28 states didn’t mention the population rather than focusing on devolution of powers and taking resources closer to the people. In this regards, the president of the republic of South Sudan, H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, has allocated equal cabinet members (7) and legislature members (21 MPs) to every state regardless of the population. For example, Eastern Nile State, which is composed of 6 six counties, Renk, Melut, Akoka, Bailiet, Maban, and Pigi, received 7 ministers and 21 Mps. The same with our new Jonglei state, which is composed of 3 counties of Duk, Twic East, and Bor, has received that equal number. The same numbers are also given to Terekeka state, Gok state, and Twic state, which are composed of one county each. So where did the Bor County’s MPs get a distribution that was based on the population?
Having said these, even in the new Jonglei State, the reason why other counties populations (now Duk and Twic) should be subtracted from the Bor County’s population is that Bor County does not treat Bor town as headquarter for everyone, which was exactly the case Bor County took all 4 MPs based on the 2008 census. In fact, if they were caring enough of others, they would have given 1 or 2 MPs to other counties in order to echo thought of diversity and ownership of Bor town as the headquarter for everybody. In this case, in real sense, there was no diversity being considered by the Bor County’s MPs. It was just shameful self-aggrandizement on expenses of others. Bor county’s citizens are not the only ones to qualify to represent the diversity in Bor town
The Bor county’s MPs should also know that countries, states, and counties are not allocated based on populations. For example, China with population of (1.357 billion), USA (320 million), and South Sudan (8 million), are all countries regardless of their populations. California with (38.8 million), former Jonglei state (1.4 million), and former Western Bahr el Ghazel (333,431), are states. Cook county in Chicago, Illinois, USA (5.241 million), Abiemnom county (17,012) in Unity state, and Nagero county (10,077) in Western Equatoria, are counties.
So, Duk County is qualified for two or more counties no matter what population it has! The only levels of government, which are allocated based on population, are districts. However, the previous South Sudan districts were based on tribes, sub-tribes, sections and clans. If that was not the case, there was no reason that Bor County, Duk, Twic East, Wunror, Ayod and many other counties should not share districts at their borders. The current districts have not been based on the population either because the decreed No. 36/2015 AD for creation of the new South Sudan 28 states didn’t mention districts.
With those facts being said, even though we sit down as 3 counties and discuss how to distribute our 21 seats, the previous Bor County’s 8 seats will still be a disputable barrier. Unless we go back to the 2005 allocation of seats in which Duk county had 2 seats, Twic East County with 3 seats, and Bor County with 4 seats. The 4 seats given to Bor County after the 2008 Census are full of dishonesty and should be disregarded. This Gerrymandering is unacceptable!
With the exodus of 8 counties from the new Jonglei State, we don’t really know the population of Bor County now. We know the population of Twic County which is 85 thousand and the population of Duk County with is 65 thousand. However, Duk County is not a half of Twic East County. Our simple mathematics tell us that if you divided 65 thousand of Duk County by 3 MPs, that mean one district equal to 20 something thousand. If you subtract 65 thousand of Duk County (represented by 3 Mps) from 85 thousand of Twic County, you left with 20 thousand, which is equivalence to 1 MP. So how did Twic East County get 6 MPs, while Duk County with 3 MPs? In real sense, if Duk County got 3 MPs, Twic East should have 4 MPs, and if Twic East County got 6 MPs, then Duk County should have 5 MPs. We believe that something isn’t adding up here!
Even if the new Jonglei State’s people would have dishonored what has been done at the national government level and went on for a community based approach, then the three chairmen of Duk, Twic, and Bor communities inclusively should have been parts of the decision making. Also, on the government side, the Chief executive, Gov. Philip Aguer Panyang and other politicians from 3 counties should also have been part of the decision making as well. But since the Bor MPs took the unilateral decision, the Duk community is no longer interested on the community based approach of distributing these seats either, rather than equal sharing of the MPs for 3 three counties. We are demanding that Duk County must be given 7 MPs, 2 Counties and 2 ministers, period! Our claim in this regard will not stop until resolution is made or Duk County is being disregarded as not a part of the new Jonglei state’s government.
This position paper is 3400 words and has been sent to many media outlets by this author in its full text, it is only this that I have decided to curve out some parts for easy reading and understanding to those ones who are too lazy to read over 1500 words.
The writer is a commentator on contemporary South Sudan, he can be reached on j.konleek@gmail.com
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