South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
An opposition party has scoffed at any extension of the transitional government on national unity, advising that the current huge number be trimmed to create a lean administration with focus on elections.
According to Dengbil William, the Acting Chairperson for African People’s Congress, an extension of the current government led by President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar would not create any breakthrough for democracy.
“It is time for us to come together and demand a lean government composed of non-political actors that shall prepare the country for a democratic and peaceful transition on the basis of the 2020 national dialogue resolution,” William told a press conference in Juba yesterday.
On Monday, social media was awash with claims of a possible extension of the transitional government by another 24 months.
Elections had been slated for December this year but doubts are high over its conduct, especially with the dire economic situation in South Sudan.
William urged the public to stand up against any possible extension of the transitional period.
“We call on all South Sudanese to take action and stand up against this proposed extension by being present at state house during the deliberations of the extension proposal by the presidency,” he said.
Citing past extensions, William said nothing tangible have been implemented in the agreement over those periods, and that the priorities of the revitalized government are not aligned with the needs of the people.
“It is only through collective action and united front that we can bring real change and uphold the democratic values that we, our friends, hold dear and which our forefathers fought Arab dominated regimes for for more than 50 years,” he said.
