President Salva Kiir and Dr Riek Machar have agreed on the powers of the Prime Minister as part of the transitional arrangements, the government has announced.

The two leaders have agreed that the prime minister will not be an executive official but will be assigned certain powers.

“They agreed that he will be given certain powers. They will be discussed by the two teams,” said Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin, Foreign Affairs Minister.

“They have already seen what powers can be given to him, for example, the implementation of the decision of the Council of Ministers, to monitor and follow up that. These are powers already agreed that will be given for him to do as a work, and any other power that will be assigned to him.”

The SPLM in Opposition had been demanding that the prime minister should be an executive official.

And a member of the SPLM in Opposition at the peace talks, Lul Koang, announced that he could not confirm the agreement between the two leaders.

Speaking to Eye Radio Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Marial said the two leaders had reached the agreement in face to face talks at the side-lines of the IGAD summit in Ethiopia this week.

He said the two leaders also agreed that the forces of the SPLA in Opposition will be reintegrated into the national army during the transitional period.

“During the transitional period, the rebels will have to be collected under the control of Dr Riek so that their absorption into the national army will be facilitated because it will take time before you bring those into the national army,” he said.

“You keep them aside first and they discuss those who will be fit to be absorbed, then they will be absorbed. So while they are aside, they will be controlled by Riek because these are his soldiers.”

Regarding the structure of the government, Dr Marial said it will be discussed by the committees from both sides.

The IGAD has given the two principles 15 days to consult with their constituencies and finalize a deal on leadership structure and power-sharing.