File: President Salva Kiir | Credit | Presidential Press Unit

An activist has criticized President Salva Kiir for what he calls “unconstitutional appointment of state deputy governors.”

President Salva Kiir appointed six deputy governors for some of the states on December 30.

But speaking to Eye Radio Saturday, Wani Michael who is also a youth representative to the National Constitutional Amendment Committee says it is the mandate of governors to appoint their deputies per the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan.

Wani describes the move by the president as “illegitimate and a violation” of the Constitution.

He challenged the peace parties and the peace monitoring body R-JMEC to declare the appointments “null and void.”

Responding to the criticism, the Press Secretary in the Office of the President, Ateny Wek Ateny says President Kiir derived part of his powers from the absence of state constitutions.

In October last year, Mr. Wani and a group of activists petitioned the Supreme Court for what they called a “violation” of women’s constitutional rights by the ruling SPLM party after only one female governor was appointed in the new unity government.

But the Supreme Court is yet to make a ruling over the matter.