Government organizes meeting over prime minister post

The government says it will hold an inclusive meeting soon as part of consultations on the powers of the prime minister and the system of governance during the transitional period.

The government and the SPLM in Opposition have been negotiating an end to the current conflict in Addis Ababa – and the powers of the prime minister and system of governance are among the contentious issues.

The regional body mediating the talks, IGAD, last week gave the two parties fifteen days to consult their constituencies and reach an agreement to peacefully resolve the conflict.

The Minister of Information, Michael Makuei Lueth, says the IGAD peace process was among the issues discussed at a Council of Ministers meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir on Friday.

“It is decided by the cabinet that the minister of Cabinet Affairs in collaboration with the office of the vice president organize an inclusive meeting that will discuss these outstanding issues before the government delegation goes back to Addis Ababa,” Mr Makuei stated.

Mr Makuei rejected media reports that the two parties agreed each of them will have an army during the transitional period.

He said it was agreed that the SPLA in Opposition will assemble its forces at specific points before the agreement comes into force and will later be reintegrated into the SPLA.