SOUTHERN ASSEMBLY SETS POLICY; EYES CORRUPTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001092

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2016
TAGS: PGOV EFIN KCOR SU
SUBJECT: SOUTHERN ASSEMBLY SETS POLICY; EYES CORRUPTION
FIGHT

REF: KHARTOUM 904

Classified By: P/E Chief Eric Whitaker, Reasons: Section 1.4 (b) and (d
)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly
(SSLA) has reviewed and endorsed Government of Southern Sudan
(GoSS) President Salva Kiir's policy statement, with changes,
and is now moving on to addressing corruption. The SSLA
wants to be the main watchdog against corruption and plans on
using the constitutional tools at its disposal to prevent
misuse of GoSS funds. Because of this, the budget may face
some difficulty in passing before safeguards are put in
place, and some current cabinet members, namely Minister of
Finance Arthur Akwein Chol and Minister of Cabinet Affairs
Justin Yak, may be called for confirmation hearings, which
could be difficult. While the SSLA previously threatened
hearings on use of 2005 oil revenues, the SPLM members of the
southern parliament now say the investigation will be done by
the party. End Summary.

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Kiir's Policy Statement: Good but Incomplete
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3. (U) The final GoSS policy statement now endorsed by the
SSLA includes language calling for the immediate
implementation of the findings of the Abyei Boundaries
Commission. It also asks that the Anti-Corruption Commission
and the Auditor General's Office be formed immediately.
Finally, it calls for the DDR process to be a priority, and
proceed quickly and rationally, so that security can be
established in Southern Sudan. The rest of the policy
statement remains virtually unchanged from Salva Kiir's
address (reftel).

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Threats of Hearings Continue
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4. )U) The$SSLA has tecieEd tm posktaon itself0as vQeQ
0zimeri"cxdck!qg!iost`ihSxitqqnamixl#ckrwP|io dinhhU
Frbl-mmt ov SguDhJo@StTg." Jfgm leQq%{lNf sdS{(OjQbman(nibQv$lv&`kG]psm+b,s?$ikd x,Y`pd!vze#JyQtkFhhg Cfk|aR"ctml"W:gq7Q_3mQIuoc`Er9rQh8nwNqQyPz~wc 33s#\cApF1c@6kyl-cLent building that never
materialized.


5. (U) Igga was able to escape scrutiny by beginning to
deliver on the actions promised in the 2005 budget, citing
logistical problems for the delay. Minister Chol will still
be investigated, but according to a prominent SPLM Member of
Parliament from Western Equatoria, Peter Beshir Bendi, the
SPLM party and not the general assembly will conduct the
inquiry. He promised that the proceedings of the
investigation will be thorough, public, and transparent.
This investigation has yet to begin.


6. (C) Member of Parliament Gatkouth Kuich, a
Sudanese-American representing Waat in Jonglei state, told CG
Juba officials that he would push for the SSLA to use its
constitutional powers to take even more dramatic action. The
Interim Southern Constitution calls for SSLA confirmation of
all cabinet members in the GoSS. Because the cabinet formed
before the assembly, this was not done. Kuich plans on
pushing for confirmation hearings now. He believes most of
these confirmations would be routine, but that both Chol and
Cabinet Affairs Minister Justin Yak would face difficulties
in being confirmed because of their widespread reputation for
corruption.

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Growing the Tree Straight
--------------


7. (C) After endorsing the unified GoSS policy, the SSLA
moved on to reviewing the 2006 budget submitted by the
Ministry of Finance, which totals USD 1.7 billion. Western
Equatoria MP Dr. Jimmie Konga, leader of the USAP party's
parliamentary block and chairman of the Public Accounting
Committee, told CG Juba Officials that he is working to block
passage of the budget until the Anti-Corruption Commission is
formed and the Auditor General's Office is established. He
does not believe that the GoSS should be able to start
disbursing that amount of money until the appropriate
safeguards are in place. According to Konga, "if you want a
tree to be straight, you have to grow it straight. If it
grows crooked, it cannot be straightened without breaking it."

KHARTOUM 00001092 002 OF 002



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General Operationing Information
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8. (U) The 146-member SSLA plans on meeting three times a
year, with three months in session followed by a one month
recess. When they are in session, there are plenary meetings
on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and committee meetings
scheduled for Thursdays and Fridays.
STEINFELD