Hon. Kim Gai Ruot, a member of the East Africa Legislative Assembly in Arusha Tanzania - COURTESY

A lawmaker of the East Africa Legislative Assembly has said the country lost the speakership position to Burundi due to a lack of proper consultation and coordination in the nomination process.

Kim Gai says the government is to blame for the country’s failure to earn the position of speaker in the regional parliament.

He raised the concern after the country relinquished her quest for the position, only hours after President Kiir nominated Dr. Anne Itto Leonardo as one of the preferred candidates.

All three nominees from South Sudan dropped out of the race for the EALA Speaker – leaving the Burundian nominee to run unopposed.

They include Dr. Anne Itto Leonardo, Gai Nhial Deng and Gideon Gatpan among others.

Reacting to the election result, Lawmaker Gai says they intended to have Hon. Gai Nhial Deng was nominated as the potential winner.

Speaking to Eye Radio from Arusha on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, Gai said they were disappointed by the decision of the minister of presidential affairs, Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin.

“Honorable Gai Nhial Deng had the highest chance at 99%. She was going to take the speakership but unfortunately, Dr. Marial imposed a different candidate on us in a letter he wrote that Dr. Anne Itto was going to be our candidate,” said Hon. Gai.

“We were very disappointed. I would like to tell the public that this mistake is from three people, Marial Benjamin, Nunu Kumba, and Anne Itto herself. They failed us, they failed the country, and made us lose the position,

“My advice to the government is to work together for our country, we are all in the same government, so we were supposed to be part of the decision-making”.

Efforts to reach the Ministry of Presidential Affairs for comment were not immediately successful.