President Salva Kiir should rescue Jonglei state from another Mess
7 min readBy Noble Leek Goi, Bor, Jonglei State
March 26, 2016 (SSB) —- The rate at which the problem of Jonglei state is escalating is almost equivalent to the rate at which price of commodities are increasing in the market. Everyday buyers/consumers hopes for the reduction of prices and depreciation of dollar, however, they keep increasing day after day and this will lead to the collapse of economy in a long run if nothing is done. That is how the problem of Jonglei state will be, if nothing is done, it will lead to the collapse of the state government.
Causes of the problem
The new Jonglei state comprise of three counties of Dinka sub-tribe; Duk County, Twic East County and Bor County. The problem rose in the creation of 28 states which was celebrated by many people across the country including the people of Duk County, little did they know that it will backfire them.
Each state parliament is to have 21 members of parliament, Jonglei state like other states was also given 21 members of parliament. Division of 21 members of parliament to three counties was the major root cause. Not all the people had gone to a school of mathematics in order to come up with the best method of dividing 21 by 3.
Bor County state members of parliament quickly came up with their method which gives them 4, Twic East with 2 and Duk County with 1. Initially, Bor County had 8 MPs, Twice East County had 4 MPs and Duk County with 2 MPs. 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?
In term of Payams, Duk County has 6 Payams, Bor County has 5 Payams and Twic East with 5 Payams. If members of parliament are to be divided then they should first consider each payam with a member of parliament, after that they negotiate on the remaining seats.
Why Bor County claims more members of parliament then the two counties.
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 to 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. For example; Twic, Terkeke, Awiel and Ghok. Such states are having 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 headquarter Bor-town and this had increased the population of Bor County but now 8 counties are no longer there, only 3.
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, because in real sense when you combine the population of Twic and Duk it is not less that of Bor county but according to census it is less. This means majority of Duk and Twic East were counted in Bor 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, unless there is another census which is done after creation of 28 states and they becomes the majority.
Division of members of parliament.
The division had gone through many diplomatic stages in which people of Duk County (the complainers) hopes for the better results in each stage, but it turns to be a night mare.
First stage.
The already existing 14 members of parliament tried to come out with method of dividing 7 by 3 but they disagreed.
Bor South County suggested that; out of 7 members of parliament, they will take 4, Twic East will take 2 and Duk County will take 1. This method didn’t work out, it was disputed by Duk parliamentarians. Duk wanted at least 4 and at most 5 out of 7 so that they can make 7 members of parliament, since Bor county already had 8. However, in the parliament there is a rule of majority win. They voted but the only two members of parliament of Duk County were outnumbered by the 8 members of parliament of Bor County.
The ratio was 3:6:12, for Duk County, Twic East County and Bor County respectively according to the first stage.
Second stage.
After disagreeing in the parliament, they involved the governor of Jonglei state to give his view over the ratio of Bor county (3:6:12). However, the governor never said anything about that division of giving Duk County 3, Twic East with 6 and Bor County with 12, making a total of 21. The governor only seconded the division which was already done and call it a right ratio. This discouraged the people of Duk and they went to another stage, because they had high expectation from the governor.
Third stage.
The issue was again taken to the chairman of Grater Bor community Hon. Micheal Makuei Lueth, the current minister of information in the central government of South Sudan. He also never said anything about the division, he called the ratio perfect one. Duk County temper started to increase slowly, because they thought their leader will talk something about the sharing of seats instead, he considered blood to be thicker than water.
Forth stage.
The issue was taken to the chairman of SPLM/A of Jonglei state, Lt. Gen. Hon. Kuol Manyang Juuk. This was the man whom Duk County had trust in him, because he doesn’t discriminate in his life unlike the rest. He only talks facts. In his personal opinion, he changed ratio from 3:6:12 to 6:6:9 for Twic East, Duk county and Bor County respectively. During his secret meeting with many people who supported the ratio of 3:6:12, his idea was disputed and his ratio was altered to 4:6:11, for Duk county, Twic East and Bor County respectively. His sharing was so disappointing because the rumours of 6:6:9 were already out and later the ratio released was 4:6:11 for Duk, Twic East and Bor County respectively.
Firth stage and the second last
The firth stage is the president.
The president of South Sudan H.E Gen. Salva Kiir should be the one to take a decision over this issue. Duk County is having more patriotic citizens who are like Salva Kiir and that is why none of them never defected from SPLM/A since 1983 up to now but many counties in South Sudan have got good number of people who ever fought the government either with Arabs or as individual rebels.
Conclusion.
H.E Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit never defected from SPLM/A just like people of Duk County. However, many of his colleagues who were senior then him defected from SPLM/A and he still remained firmed. That is why God had awarded him to be the president, it is because of his LOYALTY.
Then, why don’t the President Salva Kiir award his people (Duk people) who had stood with him since the crisis of 1983, 1991 and 2013 without anyone defecting?????
The president should award people who are loyal like him, but not former rebels of SPLM/A.
The president should rescue Jonglei state from mess by giving people of Duk what they want and what they deserved as per their participation in the movement.
The author, Noble Leek Goi, is a community activist in Bor, Jonglei state, and can be reached via his email: nobleleek@gmail.com
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