File: President Salva Kiir and SPLM/A-IO chairperson Dr. Riek Machar at the State House on Jan 15, 2020. Photo/Emmanuel J Akile/Eye Radio.

The SPLM-IO has blamed President Salva Kiir for the delay in the appointment of the National Deputy Minister of Interior.

The main opposition peace party said it submitted the name of its nominee to the President in February this year.

The position has been vacant since it was turned down by Mabior Garang – an appointee of the SPLM-IO – in February last year.

In a meeting of the SPLM-IO Political Bureau held on Wednesday in Juba, Dr. Riek Machar wondered why the President has not endorsed their nominee.

There are speculations that the SPLM-IO nominated Nyanagwek Kuol Mareng as the Deputy Minister of Interior.

In response, the Press Secretary in the Office of the President, Ateny Wek said he does not know whether the SPLM-IO nominee was rejected or not.

“It was a meeting of the First Vice President with the President, they didn’t tell anybody whether there is rejection or not, so I cannot talk about something I have not been told,”Ateny Wek told Eye Radio on Friday.

“They were only two and they didn’t make any statement,” he added.

The Minister of Interior is Paul Mayom Akech, an appointee of the SPLM while Inspector-General of Police, General Majak Akec Malok is also an appointee of the President from the SPLM party.