South Sudan, Sudan and Ugandan leaders at the recent Entebbe meeting where a proposal on governance was presented. PHOTO// State House, Uganda.

South Sudanese parties are expected today to receive a final proposal on governance after the mediators incorporate their views into the draft presented by the Sudanese and Ugandan Presidents over the weekend.

The proposal include the creation of 4 Vice President’s positions, reinstatement of Dr. Riek Machar as First Vice President, and retaining the current Presidency made of Salva Kiir, Taban Deng and Wani Igga.

According to the Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Al-Dirdiri Mohamed, the parties will need to agree on having 45 ministries and 550 members of the Transitional parliament.

He said the proposal also extends to the Council of States, and maintains the current 32 states, subject to review by an Independent Boundary Committee.

The parties returned to Khartoum, where they are expected to submit their reactions today to the mediators.

“They have accepted to have 4 Deputy President instead of 3 as we have proposed. We are also informed that the Cabinet should comprise of 45 Ministers, Information Minister, Michael Makuei told Eye Radio in Khartoum.

Makuei said the government has accepted the proposal as it is.

“These are agreed issues, because this is in principle,” he said.

Makuei further expressed optimism that a final agreement may soon be signed by all the parties.

“11th July is the signing of a final agreement here in Khartoum, and whatever agreed will be taken to [President] Uhuru Kenyatta, and he will go and put it in the final form, which will later be signed in Djibouti which is the headquarter of IGAD -when it’s agreed.”

The SPLM-IO however said it required time to study the proposal.

“We have not yet accepted what has been proposed by the President of Uganda, because what he did is just the same proposal given by the government to the opposition,” said Manawa Peter, the party’s Deputy Head of Information Committee.

Mr. Manawa said they still have an issue with the number of states.

“We are calling for reforms within the government, which include the issue of the 10 states. We still insist on that,” he said.

“They are talking about 4 Deputies [President] which is not acceptable to us in the SPLM-IO, because we are here to replace the current agreement not to negotiate a new agreement.”

Kosti Manibe, speaking on behalf of the Former Detainees said they are reviewing the proposal.

“President Museveni said yes this is a proposal from them, who are those them, that’s president Museveni and president El-Bashir as friends of South Sudan , it’s now us the parties to respond to,” he said.

For his part, Gabriel Changson, on behalf of South Sudan Opposition Alliance said they [have] submitted their response in writing.

“We were told this is a proposal and then you the opposition [need to] develop your response to it. We developed and submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sudan,” Changson said.

According to our reporter in Khartoum, the parties submitted their response to the Entebbe proposal last night.

The Mediators are expected to issue a final draft to the parties today.