Speaker Lino Makana resigns

[Juba, South Sudan, TCT, by Francis Mading] The Speaker of the National Parliament of South Sudan, Anthony Lino Makana, has offered his resignation from his post after mounted pressure by members of his party’s Parliament bloc. He was asked to resign or be dismissed for reasons related to corruption and mismanagement of resources. 

In the same context, opinions differed on the reasons for the resignation of the Speaker: some see it as a compeled resignation while others see it democratic.

Their comments in support of resignation were because it is a new trend in South Sudan, but some revealed that the resignation came due to fears of impeachment.

Journalist Moses Ajang, commenting on the matter said,

"The country should support the parliament, especially since the agreement is reeling under the weight of the parties' tactics in attracting the agreement towards its positions."

Despite his reservations about the move, he described it as new culture.

"It is a step, and he has established a culture and literature that rarely exists these days ...the literature of resignation."

He said the resignations are due to fear of impeachment after the SPLM's determinations of the impeachment.

"What I regret is that the parliamentarians did not feel embarrassed by the move, and this is shown by their distance from the media to determine the causes of the pressures that are limited to corruption accusations against Makana," he said..

in the interviews with Journalist and writer Bathumi Ayol, who works as a research coordinator at the Diversity Center for Strategic Studies, he said the resignation of the Speaker of Parliament and his removal by his comrades is another page and a pure expression of one of the party's problems from within.

"In my estimation, the need to display a culture of resignations in general is an advanced and promising stage, which may open the door for its signature as a solid culture, which we may expect to force influential officials in the state. This is another way to encourage democracy in the country" Bathumi stated.

While Atem Simon, editor of Al-Maugif newspaper, wrote on his social media page that the resignation of National Parliament Speaker Anthony Lino came under pressure from members of the SPLM, because of disputes related to their entitlements. The pressure exerted on the Speaker to resign was partly related to the members rights to improve their conditions in parliament. Therefore, it is nothing more than an internal affair related to Parliament.