NDM party warns SPLM-IG against ‘dictating’ peace deal road map
National Democratic Movement (NDM) has warned the SPLM-IG against tabling the proposed roadmap for adoption without the input of other parties to the peace agreement.
In a press release issued on Saturday, NDM argued that the four-man member committee that presented the document of the proposed roadmap for wrapping up the transitional period to President Salva Kiir in Juba on Friday lacked proper representation from all the parties. The party argued that the team should have comprised representatives from peace deal parties like SPLM-IO, SSOA, Former Detainees and OPP and even the civil society.
According to NDM, the plan to table the proposal before the presidency would be discriminative because some parties like OPP have no voice in the presidency. In addition, it argues that the process of coming up with the proposal overlooked the crucial need to involve other peace guarantors like the monitor-Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC).
‘‘We commend the SPLM-IG for following the NDM’s initiative of proposing a roadmap for tackling the approaching end of the Transitional Period. However, we are astounded by the proposition that their suggested roadmap will be presented to the Presidency for consideration. Matters related to the Revitalized Agreement concern the Parties to it, not any institution of the R-TGoNU such as the Presidency, the Council of Ministers or any other,’’ it noted.
It added: ‘‘The right procedure should have been for SPLM-IG to present its proposed roadmap to the parties either directly or through RJMEC so as to be discussed together with other proposals from the other parties in order to agree on a common position.’’
The NDM said that had the peace deal been promptly implemented as had been anticipated, there would never be any case of going back to the drawing board to relook the approaches to accomplishing the pending tasks.
‘‘The fact that we are discussing a roadmap at this late hour in the life of the agreement suggests that things did not go well as envisaged when it was signed four years ago.’’
It called on the ruling party to run a transparent process that would not attract any complaints from other peace partners.
On Friday, President Kiir received a report on the peace deal rollout roadmap from a committee. The members of the committee included Tut Gatluak Manime (Presidential Advisor on National Security Affairs), Martin Elia Lomoro (Minister of Cabinet Affairs), Mayiik Ayii Deng (Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation) and Michael Makuei (Minister of Information). The report is expected to be tabled for discussion by the president and the vice presidents this week.
