President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar shake hands after their meeting in Juba, South Sudan October 19, 2019 - Courtesy

First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar has written to President Salva Kiir requesting him to correct what he referred to as ‘anomalies’ in the recent reconstitution of electoral bodies after some SPLM-IO members were not appointed.

According to his letter dated November 20, 2023, Dr. Machar said the National Constitutional Review Commission was reconstituted with 58 members instead of 57 in violation of the constitution making process act, 2022, section 10 (2).

Dr. Riek also said there was an oversight after he noticed that Mary Akech Bior was appointed in both, the National Constitution Review Commission and Political Parties’ Council.

On the National Elections Commission, he said SPLM-IO’s Gatluak Gabriel Deng for position of Chief Electoral Officer was not appointed to the designated position, but rather as an ordinary member of the commission.

The letter also stated that another SPLM-IO nominee Eli Magok Manyol was not appointed to the commission.

The first vice president further said his party comrade Dr. Atak Magok Manyok, for the Political Parties Council was not appointed.