South Sudan President Pushed to Explain ‘Rift’ with VP

{{The most senior religious leaders in South Sudan have asked president Salva Kiir, to clarify to them the delegated powers he withdrew from the vice president, Riek Machar, as rumors of a looming crisis in the presidency continues.}}

The surprise move announced in a formal decree by Kiir thus month has created tension and uncertainty at the centre of the south-ruling party (SPLM) government, which officials tried to dispel today after a stunned reaction among the South Sudanese public.

The Catholic Church archbishop Paulino Lukudu said they wanted to get clarifications from the president and the vice president over the decree withdrawing unspecified executive powers from Machar.

“We have been hearing that the president and the vice-president are in war, are in trouble, are in difficulties, in disagreements. This of course disturbs all of us as citizens,” lamented the top Catholic priest in the capital.

In July 2007, Kiir issued a circular delegating “additional powers” to the vice president, Machar, putting him in charge of the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) with the former north Sudan; overseeing the conduct of the referendum by the people of South Sudan; supervising the presidential advisors; and monitoring the activities of the independent commissions, among others.

{ST}