Dr Riek Machar | File photo

The main opposition party, SPLM-IO, has distanced itself from the Office of the President’s “collegial” decision on the allocation of states.

In a press statement issued on Thursday, President Salva Kiir says the decision was arrived in a meeting attended by all his deputies, including SPLM-IO Leader and FVP Dr. Riek Machar himself.

It says the Presidency agreed to allocate Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Lakes, Warrap, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal, and Unity states to the incumbent government.

Read outcomes of the fourth meeting of the peace presidency at J1 include compromise on state allocations and relaxation of anti-coronavirus measures #SouthSudan pic.twitter.com/34Bw3lbiQk

— Eye Radio (@EyeRadioJuba) May 7, 2020

While Jonglei, Western Bahr el-Ghazal, and Western Equatorial states shall go to the main opposition group, SPLM-IO.

Upper Nile State has been allocated to South Sudan Opposition Alliance.

However, Dr. Machar rejects the decision, saying President Kiir unilaterally made it, not through a consensus.

“It does not put into consideration the relative prominence of each party [as] in each of the respective state or county,” writes Dr. Machar, citing Article 1.16.4 of the R-ARCSS.

“In this case, neither SSOA nor ITGoNU has prominence in Upper Nile State more than SPLM-IO.”

The disagreements over allocation of states to peace parties has been delaying the full establishment of the coalition government.

The IGAD Council of Ministers last month gave the peace parties up to early this month to agree and complete the formation of the coalition government.

The main Opposition group SPLM-IO led by the FVP, Dr Riek Machar, has distanced itself from the statement issued by President Salva Kiir, claiming peace parties have reached a compromise on allocation of states. Dr Machar urges R-JMEC to intervene #SouthSudan pic.twitter.com/yhUeqHzM8z

— Eye Radio (@EyeRadioJuba) May 8, 2020

“As far as we are concerned, the deadlock on the allocation of states still stands,” Dr Machar continues.

He called upon the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission to intervene:

“In light of the above, I would like to underline the fact that there was no consensus in the president’s allocation of states but rather deadlock. As such, I am asking for your intervention.”