South Sudan First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar says the permanent constitution will reflect 40 percent women representation in government and private sectors.
According to the peace agreement 35% shares were allocated to women. Dr. Machar said there is a need to involve more women in the country’s leadership.
“We raised the bar from 35% in the agreement to 40%, and we must make sure the permanent constitution contains forty percent,” Dr. Riek said.
He said the other political parties would be pursuing to accept the idea, and it becomes positive discrimination for women. “We would assure the leadership in our country will be 50-50% to end male political dominant.”
Machar said the parties would move to the states and counties for consultation ahead of the national constitutional conference expected next year. He said the politics has become the male business of the day, but the involvement of other groups will help increase competition.
Adding that the lobbying for equal participation will also push for electoral law to annex women’s seats and preparing for new dispensation, democratization, and transition from war to peace.
Machar said the unification of forces will ensure the country goes for election in 2023, describing it as the “End game” of the transitional government.
“Our people are yearning for the day when these will see the graduation of the forces deployed and the face two is put in the training. People need to see that this country is secure with the forces they call national soldiers.”
He pledged that the graduation of forces would happen even after the Christmas festival. On Friday, Minister of Information Michael Makuei Lueth said the council of ministers has avail funds for the graduation of unified forces.
First Vice President and Chairman of the Sudan People Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), Dr. Riek Machar, launched his party headquarter in Juba on Saturday.