Will the New Cabinet deliver South Sudan out of its doldrums? By Michael Thon Mangok, RSS
SEP. 6/2011, SSN; President Salva Mayardit Kiir last week returned from the proverbial isolation to give his verdict----the men and women who have imprinted their names in the annals of history as the first cabinet of the nascent state. But as the exuberance settles ending intense weeks of anxiety, speculation and lobbying in the last 50 days, the new cabinet will be judged not by its face value but on delivery to the citizens and taxpayers of this new nation. Rummaging through the cobweb of this peculiar state with a raging debate over ethnicity, forming a cabinet with qualified ministers with inclusivity of diversity was the biggest challenge to Kiir. Many will still ask did Kiir’s new cabinet represent that diversity? I think the answer is yes and no. As he drew the list of the new Cabinet Kiir must have attempted to placate the wishes of that tribal diversity. But whereas he perhaps wanted to form a cabinet with other tribes, he was still stuck with the hard facts. Could he just discard the old cadres, the last caravan of his own soldiers that fought for the independence through blood, sweat and tears? According to regional analysts, the notion of guerilla movements across Africa shows that its quite unlikely for leaders to dump those they fought with at the battlefront. Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame, classical revolutionary leaders still run the body politic of their regimes through close confidants who fought alongside them. Critics of this theory argue that rewarding loyalists is a way of dispensing patronage and it’s a ploy for leaders to stay long in power. However I feel president Kiir was stuck between a rock and a hard stone. Through the appointment of the new defense minister Gen John Kong Nyoun, the Foreign Affairs minister Nhial Deng Nhial, Deng Alor Kuol for Cabinet Affairs, Gen Oyay Deng Ajak for National Security and Lt. Gen. Gier Aluong for Roads are all close confidants of Kiir during the bush days. On several occasions president Kiir promised to form a lean cabinet that will deliver services to the citizens. Well, though he cut the numbers from 32 to 29, the South Sudan does not need huge ministerial numbers to deliver services. Then what would happen to the governors that are supposed to carry out duties in states? I think their duty is not superfluous but to deliver services to the people. Reactions Many in the South feel the appointment of SPLA veteran commander Gen. Oyay Deng Ajak was Kiir’s best appointment. Perhaps the most down to earth and popular SPLA commander during the bush war, Oyay Deng was widely believed the best to take over the sensitive docket of national security. South Sudan’s global ratings to terrorism are not that good. It’s the fifth most vulnerable state to terrorism. Gen. Oyay’s acumen in the struggle, his appeal amongst the locals and intellect gives him the edge to outsmart regional and international belligerents who could want to sow mayhem in the region. “The appointment of Gen Oyay Deng is the best appointment president Kiir has ever done,” said Biar Atem Biar a youth activist in Juba. “The fear of a terror attack will not be a threat to us again. Gen. Oyay will handle it and our security system will operate without targeting any citizen but guided by the principles and rule of law,” Biar concluded. Another Youth leader Chol Beer Akuei said that, “the appointment of Gen Oyay restores confidence. Our people will have the trust in their security system because Oyay really understands why we fought the war and will work to fulfill the interest of our people.” Foreign minister Nhial Deng Nhial is yet another good pick. The Khartoum University law graduate is a technocrat many believe is a seasoned diplomat who will not wait in the marbled corridors of power but will engage in shuttle diplomacy to improve the image of our young nation. He is not a war hawk but someone who will likely fathom peaceful co-existence with our regional neighbors. Amongst the youth, the appointment of a veteran journalist Atem Yaak Atem, as assistant minister of information by Kiir won plaudits that the president listens even to criticism and takes advice. Atem Yaak was known as man far away from the war. A journalist with high intellect and liberal mind. During the war, Atem was well known for his liberal ideas even during the times of the late iconic leader John Garang when media freedom appeared as a myth. He was a leading journalist in the SPLA. However others look at Kiir’s appointments through the cynical lenses. Reknown radio presenter Maal Maker Thiong of Miraya Fm said, “there is nothing much to be celebrated, it will not be different. If you put an old wine in a new glass it will still taste the same, they are just the same ministers that we had in the last government. The only good thing is that we now have a functioning government not care takers anymore.” Achiew Duoi, a former lawmaker during the Addis Ababa agreement said that, “there will be no reforms at all because those who are appointed are the same people with same political agendas. I don’t think they will have something new to the system” she concluded. Kiir also tried to reward affirmative action. Gender was well represented. There are five female Cabinet ministers and nine deputy ministers. DROPPED The ministers that were dropped include the SPLA secretary general Mr. Paggun Amum formerly the minister for peace and CPA implementation in the transitional government and his deputy in the party Dr. Anne Itto who was the minister for Cooperatives and Rural Development. Party Insiders argue that they were dropped so that they could focus on party duties because the SPLM constitution states that the job of the secretary general and the deputy is a full time job. Those who are dropped are very important but this is time for others to try their best,” said Manyang Parek, a political analyst. Others who were dropped are Lino Antony Makana, James KokReau, MakuchTeny yok and Dr. Luka Manoja, There is a perception that Makana was a hard worker and should not have been dropped. “Makana has done some tangible things compared to other ministers who were retained in the cabinet yet they have never done anything tangible, ” argued Nguen Bathoth Riak, a youth from Jonglei state. Gender was well represented. The public is comfortable with the women presentation of the first cabinet of the new nation. There are five federal ministers as women and nine deputy ministers. The factional party that broke away from the ruling party, SPLM-DC headed by Dr. Lam Akol was left in the cold. I asked the Parliamentary affairs minister Michael Makuei why the principles of inclusivity do not recognize members of the SPLM- DC being included in the cabinet and he posed a rhetorical question, “SPLM-DC is the opposition party, how can the president appoint an opposition that does not obey the policies of the government?” SPLM-DC is the opposition party, they have the leader of the opposition in the parliament” he concluded President Salva Kiir said when he was addressing the first joint sitting of both assemblies last month that change would come to South Sudan within the first 100 days after the new cabinet announcement. As the clock ticks towards that deadline, only time will tell if Kiir’s new cabinet will live up to that promise. Sir Alex Mangok [email protected] COMMENTS, PLEASE CLICK HERE Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author(s) and do not represent those of the website. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
