By Patriot Corps
JUBA – A South Sudanese lawmaker, Peter Mabior Riiny Lual, has resigned from his parliamentary position, citing the government’s failure to address the country’s deteriorating economic conditions. Lual, who also served as a Commissioner in the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), was a member of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA).
In his resignation letter, addressed to South Sudan’s Vice President for Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi, Lual expressed deep disillusionment with the current state of governance. He criticized the leadership for allowing a situation where approximately 70% of the population remains illiterate, and essential services such as schools and hospitals are grossly inadequate. Lual highlighted the dire reality of citizens dying from hunger and preventable diseases, while leaders amass wealth and seek medical treatment abroad for conditions that could be treated within the country.
“We cannot continue to call ourselves leaders when the very people we serve are dying, and leaders are illegitimately getting rich at their expense,” Lual wrote. “People are dying from preventable diseases while those entrusted with service delivery fly out to get treatment for conditions like malaria, taking with them millions of US dollars as allowances.”
Lual admitted that his initial belief in the opposition’s potential to change the country’s political trajectory had been shattered. He described the current leadership as “political conmen” and expressed regret that the opposition had failed to become the voice of the people. “It would be a waste of time and energy staying in that Parliament,” he stated.
In his letter, Lual also mentioned a conversation with Vice President Abdelbagi from the previous year, where he questioned whether the leadership still remembered the principles they fought for and the reasons behind their agreement with the government. He noted that he never received a response, which further fueled his decision to resign. “You will think that I must be mad to resign. You believe this government is a man from heaven and it is an opportunity to get rich. I see it otherwise,” Lual added.
The former lawmaker’s resignation underscores his frustration with the lack of progress in improving the lives of ordinary South Sudanese citizens. He expressed concerns over the rampant poverty, illiteracy, and inadequate healthcare that continue to plague the nation. “In my opinion, our daily thinking should be preoccupied with how we can save our people from poverty. But, since we are doing nothing to help our people, I see it fit to resign,” he stated.
Concluding his resignation letter, Lual remarked, “I am resigning because serving in this government has become a mockery and a scam. My resignation should also tell others that I am an independent thinker, and I can quit when I believe what I am doing is against my belief and conscience.”
Lual’s departure from the Parliament and the PSC sends a strong message about his dissatisfaction with the current state of governance in South Sudan and raises concerns about the future of the country under its present leadership.
Source ST.